


Season of The Witch

by mochis



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Renaissance, Archery, Betrayal, Centaurs, Dragons, Elves, Fire breathing, Fortune Telling, Friends to Lovers, Greek Mythology - Freeform, M/M, Misunderstandings, Renaissance Festival, Tarot, Tarot Cards, Witch Hunters, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2018-09-01 05:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8610208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mochis/pseuds/mochis
Summary: Kiku Honda knew the job didn't pay him enough to keep a nosy blonde out of his business. Especially when said nosy blonde had just found out one of his family's most important secrets.





	1. Potions and Broomsticks

**Author's Note:**

> hey —✩  
> i suddenly got this idea after attending a renaissance festival in my hometown.

Just a few raven feathers, snail shells and blades of grass from a fifteen-year old flower field. 

Piece of cake for an intermediate witch such as Kiku Honda. 

Especially seeing as he’d done this recipe at least a hundred times before. This recipe was used to create a potion that would help one discover lost things, and the one lost thing that Kiku failed to find was his employee ID for the local renaissance festival being held tomorrow.

As Kiku Honda is and always had been a witch coming from two past generations of witches, there seemed to be no better vacation job than working at one of the potion tents at the renaissance festival in his hometown. Of course, the “potions” being sold at the festival were simply brightly colored perfumes and lotions, but his parents thought it would be a fun idea to dress in his witch attire and earn a few extra bucks for the break. Making money he had no quarrel with; the brief social interactions throughout the day was what irked him. Kiku had never been one to make friends easily, and thus has never had many friends or much social knowledge - or “street smarts”, as one of his dear friends puts it. 

Dropping the four snail shells that the recipe called for into the small cauldron, he heard the door open behind him. 

“What are you working on?” His older brother, Yao, asked as he neared the cauldron to peek at what was inside. Bubbles were barely beginning to form at the surface. “Another locator potion?”

“Yes. I can’t find my employee ID for tomorrow,” the boy moved from the cauldron to search the drawers lined on the walls of their family’s conjuring room. Endless amounts of supplies were stocked in this room, as his parents and brother all used it for their studies and training. “You haven’t seen it, have you?”

His brother shook his head, but grinned. “I forgot you took that job! Are you excited? You’re practically being paid to wear your witch clothes.” 

“I’m excited to make money. Not excited to talk to people.” Kiku replied as he shut the drawer full of raven feathers. He tossed them into the cauldron before going back to search the cabinets above the drawers. 

Yao rolled his eyes. “Kiku, you’ve got to outgrow that. Meeting new people isn’t that bad. And there are interesting people to meet at that renaissance festival! Almost everyone is in costume and the little kids are into that fake magic stuff.” 

Kiku narrowed his eyes at the mention of “fake magic”. Witches were aware of the rip-off magic that normal civilians made money from. He grabbed a jar of wilted grass blades and moved back towards the cauldron. “I don’t want to sell ‘fake magic’, or even be associated with it. It’s a disgrace to real witches.” He grabbed a handful of grass and tossed it into the potion, green bubbles foaming at the surface. After stirring it a few times, the potion was complete and ready to be used. 

His brother watched as Kiku spooned the liquid into a small, glass jar. “You know what they do to real witches out there. It’s been done in the past and it can happen again.”

The younger sighed, capping the potion with a cork. His was right, as usual. Being three years older than him and much more experienced with magic and spellcasting than he was, Yao was truly someone Kiku looked up to from a young age. Their parents praised his skill with the element of fire much more than they did was Kiku's simple potion making or spell casting. Granted, Kiku had just begun thinking about which element to focus his studies on, whereas Yao had been dabbling with fire since he was fifteen. However, what Kiku lacked in element magic, he made up for in handheld magic such as potion-making and charming. “I know. I just want the festival to be over with.”

“You haven’t even started.”

“Don’t remind me.”

* * *

 

Parking was proving to be the real challenge of the day, and it wasn’t even after nine in the morning. 

After finding a semi-decent spot to park, Kiku made the journey to the entrance of the festival. He wasn’t surprised to see the parking lots were nearly full so early in the morning, nor when he saw the large crowd gathered near the entrance. As Yao mentioned yesterday, nearly the whole crowd was dressed in either elaborate dresses, pirate gear, mage, fairy or witch costumes - however, their witch costumes were nothing like the actual witch attire Kiku had on that day - complete with props such as wands, wings or swords. As he walked around the crowd to reach the employee entrance, he couldn’t help but admire the effort that was clearly put into the costumes, even if they were inaccurate. 

The park’s opening day was always the busiest, as people had been waiting to enter since the festival was announced two months ago. Kiku had been to the festival a few times as a child with his family, and while it was fun to re-enact sword fights and witness the jousting competition all those years ago, years of witches’ training had hardened his view of the festival. The “witches” he had seen as a child were now nothing more than imposters making profit from smoke and mirrors. 

Still, their candied apples were to die for. 

After clocking in - his employee ID happened to be under his bed, hidden amongst several pairs of sneakers - Kiku decided to search for his potion tent. Other employees were also in full costume getting their wares ready for the day, and the boy couldn’t help but look down briefly at his own clothes. It wasn’t anything too elaborate: a short, black cloak kept him warm from the day’s chills, coupled with a long sleeved black shirt and pair of black trousers. Laced up black boots completed the outfit, and he kept the glass jar of locator potion he had prepared yesterday tied to his hip. To be fair, every witch was responsible for making their own clothes, and as Kiku had little fashion knowledge, he fabricated simple outfits that would be easiest to work in. Yao and his parents took their clothes much more seriously, creating intricate designs and robes to be worn during gatherings or family reunions. 

His tent was white and had wooden steps leading to the platform with several tables that would have his wares for sale. There was a another smaller tent attached to the back of the main tent that was to be used during breaks and had extra bottles and jars of lotion and perfume should he run out. His shop was placed in between a jewelry tent and a gem shop, right across from four food vendors. He could already smell the funnel cakes and cheesecakes being prepared, and made a note to himself not to forget Yao’s request of a candied apple. Overall, it was a nice setup that hopefully would attract customers. 

Looking around the tent, he kept an eye out for an item he could charm. Charming inanimate objects was another perk that witches often took advantage of, as they could help you get things done faster. For example, one could charm a broomstick to do the sweeping for them or charm a hairbrush to do one’s hair while they did their makeup. Kiku often charmed brooms and mops for household chores, and when he was looking for exercise he’d charm a tennis racket for a game. For now, he settled on a broomstick he had found in the back tent, setting it to sweep the floors while he set up the potions. 

Finished, he took his spot behind the cash register. He soon heard the opening announcements over the speakers, and prayed that the day would go by quickly.

* * *

 

“Thank you, and have a safe journey.” 

Another con to this job: having to speak as if Kiku were in a  _ Lord of The Rings  _ film. 

All things considered, however, things were going smoothly. He had already made several sales before lunch, and had even ran out of a certain perfume named “Cupid’s Brew”. Along with selling the potions, he also had to come up with “side effects” of using them - such as becoming more valiant, attractive or lucky. “Cupid’s Brew” supposedly had the ability to make others fall in love with the person who wears it. Kiku had given up on making up side effects after the first few sales and had instead fallen back on actual side effects to potions witches actually brew. 

As he munched on a slice of chocolate-dipped cheesecake, he thought back to how many different people he had met. So far, he had met two Links from  _ Legend of Zelda,  _ one Gandalf from  _ The Lord of the Rings,  _ five witches, two little girls dressed as Elsa and Anna from  _ Frozen,  _ and three fairies. It was interesting to see how many different costumes people came up with, and he decided early on to keep a tally on how many Frodos passed by his tent. 

Hearing footsteps on the wooden steps to his tent, he wrapped his cheesecake up and set it aside. “Welcome to the Witch’s Garden, potions for every occasion.” 

A tall, young blonde ducked into the tent, looking around with interest. Kiku guessed he was around his age. He, like many others, was dressed in renaissance clothing, except he was much more casual. “Hey, dude.”

“Let me know if you need anything.” Kiku gave a nod, staying at his spot by the cash register. 

The blonde took his time looking at each bottle and jar. Kiku almost reached for his cheesecake before the boy turned towards him, “Am I allowed to open one?”

He stood and made his way towards the other, the floorboards creaking under the added weight. “Ah, yes. Which one were you looking at?”

“This one.” The boy pointed towards a jar of lotion labeled “Dragon’s Ashes”. 

Kiku uncapped it and dabbed a bit onto his fore and middle fingers before spreading it onto the boy’s hand. “This one’s good for bravery and strength. It was made from a dragon’s fire ashes, so it has a slightly smoky smell.” 

“Like, from a real dragon?” He asked, blue eyes glinting. 

“...Yes, like from a real dragon.” 

“Rad. Do you recommend anything else to go with it?” 

He stopped rubbing the lotion on his hand and paused to think. Then, Kiku moved to the table adjacent to the blonde, picking up a cologne bottle labeled “Blacksmith’s Fire”. The boy followed him to the table. “This has a similar smoky smell to it, but a bit more strong than the lotion. It was taken from a blacksmith’s shop, so it also boosts your strength.” He sprayed a bit onto the boy’s wrist. 

“So if I get both of these, I’ll get really strong? You swear?” he grinned. 

“Yes, I swear. And you’ll smell really good.” Kiku added, nodding. “You can get a bundle of a lotion and cologne for a lower price.” 

“I’ll take them.”

He rang the blonde up, and briefly ducked into the back tent to retrieve a box and ribbon to package the items. The broom he had charmed earlier was sweeping the dust off of one of the shelves stocked with perfume. “Please be careful,” he muttered, grabbing a white ribbon from one of the storage containers. “If you break anything, it comes out of my paycheck.” 

Kiku boxed the cologne and lotion and wrapped it with a ribbon, handing it to the blonde and bidding his thanks. He left with another grin and a “thanks, dude!”. 

_ He had a cowlick,  _ Kiku mused as he unwrapped his cheesecake.  _ And a nice smile.  _

The next few hours went by with cheesecake and a few more sales before the sun began to set. His shift ended at nine, as not many people were around to shop in the evening as they were there to drink and eat. It was nearing eight-thirty, and Kiku decided to begin packing up shop for the day. He briefly stepped outside to see if there were any potential customers walking his way, and when the coast seemed clear, he set the broom to sweep the floors of the main tent while he counted the day’s earnings. Opening day was always successful, and his business was no exception; he went over his quota for the day by a landslide. Yao was right - people loved the fake magic talk. 

“Dude!” Kiku froze. He knew that voice. “Holy shit!” 

He turned to find the blonde boy from earlier standing in the entryway of the tent, mouth agape and eyes wide behind his glasses. He was pointing at the broom, which was still sweeping on its own. “Y-Your broom!” 

The witch snapped his fingers, causing the broom to drop onto the floor. The blonde immediately looked to Kiku, “It was sweeping on its own! Were - Were you making it do that?” 

He knew this stupid job wasn’t worth the paycheck. 


	2. Phone Numbers and Panic Attacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick update.

Kiku had pulled the blonde into the tent and drawn the entryway closed in record time. 

“Dude! So you  _ were  _ making the broom move! Are you magic? Are you some kind of wizard? Like from  _ Harry Potter?”  _ Questions were practically spilling from his mouth like a waterfall, and Kiku could only think of covering his mouth with his hands to get him to stop badgering him. 

He kept talking through his fingers, but at least it was muffled. 

“Look,” He said finally, cheeks hot and eyes wide. “I’m-I’m not magic. I’m not a witch.”

“I never said you were a witch. Are you a witch?” He could feel him grin under his hands, which he drew back. “You are, aren’t you?”

Kiku didn’t know what to do, let alone answer. His family, and not to mention his family’s friends and other important witches could be exposed and hunted down if he told this boy the truth. Then again, this guy didn’t exactly seem like the witch-hunting type - his smile was too goofy and his eyes too childish. Plus, he didn’t look like he was in the perfect shape to be running around hunting witches every day. But how could he have been so stupid as to have left the front of the tent open? Of course anyone could have stopped by and asked him about the moving broom, perhaps even a  _ real  _ witch hunter! There were a million things that could have gone wrong, and Kiku had just invited all of them into his tent all at once simply because he decided to be lazy and not sweep the floors himself. Yao would have been so disappointed in him, and his parents would have burned him at the stake had they found out —

“Woah, hey, you okay?” The boy had brought him out of his mind when he placed a hand on his arm. He hadn’t realized he had begun to breathe shallowly or that his hands were beginning to tremble. “I didn’t mean to freak you out. I just got excited, I guess.” 

Kiku swallowed hard and wiped at his eyes. “It’s-It’s fine. Just...just don’t tell anyone. Please. My family —  no one knows we’re here. As witches.” 

“Of course I won’t tell anyone! Are you kidding me? I know what people did to witches back in the day. You know, Salem?” Kiku nodded, sniffling a bit. The blonde reached into his back pocket, pulling out a packet of tissues and handed one to him. “Your secret’s safe with me. I’m Alfred Jones, by the way.” 

He took the tissue gratefully. “Kiku Honda.”

“Sorry I freaked you out. I actually came back to see if there was anything else you could have recommended me.” Alfred gave an uneasy laugh. “Guess I came at a bad time, though...”

“I was just closing up the shop. Though,  _ I _ should have been sweeping instead of having it be done for me.” He shook his head, his body still cold from the earlier shock. 

“That’s still so fucking  _ cool _ , though! I’d kill to have stuff done for me at the snap of my fingers,” He pushed his glasses up onto his nose, grinning a goofy grin. “I’m always stuck doing chores.” 

Kiku excused himself and stepped into the back tent quickly to grab his satchel before returning to the main tent to blow out the candles that he had set up. Alfred offered to walk him to the front of the park as compensation for Kiku’s slight panic attack. 

“It really is fine.” The witch had said as they began walking through the crowds.

“No, it’s not ‘fine’. I’d be pretty terrified if someone found out a secret like that, too,” Alfred replied, tucking his hands into his pockets for warmth. “I mean, I don’t have any deep, dark secrets like that, but there’s stuff I’d die over if people knew about them.” 

Kiku gave a ghost of a smile. “Thank you. I was just scared you were some kind of witch hunter.”

“Those really exist?” He gave an incredulous look. “Well, I shouldn’t be surprised. I didn’t think witches actually existed. You don’t look like a witch.”

“How do witches look, then?” 

“You know, they have those pointy hats, and black cats or bats or ravens, and don’t they eat little kids? Like in  _ Hansel and Gretel? _ ”Alfred answered, thinking back to all the movies and stories he had read or seen. “Or like the ones from  _ Hocus Pocus!  _ Don’t tell me you sing, too? Will I be cursed for eternity if you start singing?” 

Kiku wanted to pull his hair out. “No, not all of that is necessarily true...and I don’t sing.” Alfred looked a little disappointed, and he felt compelled to add, “But we do have familiars like black cats or ravens. They usually choose their owner, though. And before you ask, no, I don't have one. My brother does, though.”

“You have a brother? Me too!” 

The rest of the way was spent talking about their families. Alfred had a shy twin brother named Matthew, and his mother died a few years ago which left them with a single father. They were both seventeen and in high school, except Kiku attended a public school whereas Alfred and his brother attended a private school on the opposite side of town. While Kiku wasn’t comfortable enough to go too in-depth about his family’s witch-oriented traditions, he did talk about his family’s background. His family originally lived in Japan, but moved to the States after a few generations and made frequent family trips to the island during school vacations. His full last name was actually Wang-Honda, but he often stuck to just Honda. 

Their conversation lasted all the way to the entrance of the park. Kiku excused himself to clock out for the day and met the blonde on the other side of the entrance. People were still filing into the park for the evening festivities - which consisted of beer, dancing, and more beer - and Alfred nearly lost him in the crowd. 

“You’re so small, I couldn’t see you above the crowd,” The boy chuckled as he caught up to Kiku. “Will you be here tomorrow?”

“Yes, for the next few weeks until the festival is over.” He pulled his car keys from his bag, but a part of him wanted to stay and talk to Alfred for a bit longer. Maybe it was because he didn’t meet new people very often, or that he had just found out a part of himself that very few people knew about, but either way, Kiku felt drawn to Alfred’s positivity. 

And of course he didn’t have the courage to ask for his number or email. Most people would take that the wrong way - and it wasn’t as if Kiku was  _ totally _ straight, but he was still figuring out himself and asking for this boy’s number could probably give him the wrong idea about him. Yet, isn’t it fair to freak him out since he gave Kiku a panic attack earlier? But a phone number was hardly proper compensation for that. Then again, if Alfred was coming tomorrow, he could just ask him then - 

“Oh, yeah, here’s my number if you ever need anything,” Kiku had been too busy debating with himself to notice Alfred taking his hand, scrawling a number with a blue pen onto it. “Or if you wanna share your witch secrets with me. I swear I’m good at keeping secrets.”

Kiku felt his cheeks warm up again. “I-I’ll have to think it over. Thank you, Alfred.”

They bid each other good-bye, and both made their way through the parking lot in opposite directions. Alfred’s heart was still racing - had he  _ really _ just given a boy his number in such a cliche fashion? And not just any boy, but a  _ witch?  _ Kiku didn’t seem like a typical witch he had read about or seen from movies, he seemed... _ normal _ . He was quiet and reserved, and the bit he could get out of him left much to think about. Alfred didn’t mind talking about himself or about anything in general, that was just how Alfred was, but Kiku seemed more shy than his brother Matthew. He couldn’t tell what he was thinking or if Kiku even fully trusted him; understandable, seeing as Alfred witnessed something he clearly should not have witnessed. 

Which only made Alfred want to get to know Kiku  _ more _ . This was the last thing he thought would happen when his father got him and his brother season tickets to the festival. Of course, he would keep this shut with a tight lid from his family and friends - he didn’t want to lose Kiku’s trust so easily. 

It was later that evening when both had returned home that Alfred received a text from Kiku, who had worked up the courage (and nearly conjured up a bravery spell, but he knew he was being dramatic) to send a simple text message. 

“You met someone already?” Yao had asked when he noticed Kiku’s phone going off several times in a row.

“Y-Yes,” he answered. It took a lot not to confide in his brother what happened that day. “He came by the shop twice and offered to walk me out when I was finished for the day.”

“Wow, he sounds...friendly.” He turned back to his spellbook. “Doesn’t sound like your type, though.”

Kiku almost dropped the glass jar he was holding. “M-My type? What is that supposed to mean?”

“ _ Little brother,”  _ Yao began in Mandarin, “a boy doesn’t offer to walk to your car at night if he didn’t see you as more than a friend.” 

“We just met today, Yao.” 

“Okay, Kiku. I’ll use this in my speech at your wedding.” He laughed at Kiku’s mortified expression, flipping a page in his book. “Just be careful. You know witches and humans don’t usually last very long together.” 

_ I know that,  _ he wanted to answer. Instead, he turned back to polishing the glass jar in his hands.  _ I’m not looking for a boyfriend anytime soon.  _


	3. Fortunes and Maple Syrup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh BOY oh GEE this made me wanna cry  
> finally get into some new characters! also if you haven't noticed already but when characters speak in their native language it will be in ~italics~  
> (but it will usually be phrases instead of single words)

“So can you fly on a broomstick?”

“I don’t think so.”

“‘Think’? You mean you haven’t tried before?” 

Kiku gave a side glance towards the blonde as he took a sip from his hot chocolate. “I’m not about to jump off a roof with a broom, Alfred.”  

They were both seated by the cash register during one of Kiku’s breaks, and Alfred was dressed in a hoodie and jeans while Kiku borrowed one of Yao’s longer cloaks for the day. It had been a few days since they had met, and everyday that Kiku worked the tent Alfred would spend a few hours talking with him. What they didn’t get to discuss through texting usually was brought up in person.

“Even if we  _ could _ fly on broomsticks, where would be go? We could just drive or walk.” 

“If you needed to go to California, you could just fly there.” He answered. 

“Why California?” 

“I dunno,” Alfred paused to think, taking a bite out of his candied apple. “The beach is nice. Plus they have In-N-Out Burger.”

Before they could get into another topic, several footsteps came bounding up the stairs to the tent. Kiku’s opinion on fast-food would have to wait as a blonde stepped into the shop, wavy hair pulled back into a small ponytail and lavender eyes looking around the tent with slight curiosity. 

Alfred immediately stood, grinning. “Matt! You made it!” 

_ Matt?  _ Kiku thought as the blonde pulled the wavy-haired boy into a bear hug.  _ Oh. His brother.  _

The first thing Kiku realized was that the two looked  _ extremely _ similar. The only major differences between the two were the straight and wavy hairstyles, blue and lavender eyes, and Matthew seemed to have more freckles and fairer skin than Alfred did. Other than that, Matthew could easily pass for his brother if he cut his hair. 

“Hey, Al,” his brother’s reply was muffled by his hoodie. “What are you up to?”

Alfred pulled back to gesture to Kiku. “We were just about to discuss In-N-Out Burger. Kiku, this is my brother Matthew. Matt, this is Kiku.” 

The raven-haired boy waved. “Nice to meet you. Alfred’s told me a lot about you.”

“Likewise. I think it’s really cool that you get to work here,” Matthew gave a warm smile. Kiku then decided that he liked Matthew - his quiet and calm demeanor was similar to his own. His voice was even soft and flowed with the ease of syrup. “I love the renaissance festival. We used to come all the time when Al and I were kids.”

“My family did, too. My parents felt it was only natural to have me work here.” Remembering he had an actual  _ job _ to do, the witch asked, “Would you like to try a sample of some perfume?”

Matthew ended up purchasing a bundle just as Alfred did a few days ago. His choices were also slightly different from his brother: a lotion and cologne labeled “Honey Tea” and “Fresh Maple Wood”. He almost got Alfred to buy another lotion that was supposedly for attractiveness, but Matthew stopped him before he could spend the rest of his allowance. Kiku was shaping up to be quite the salesman, if he did say so himself. 

Matthew spent the rest of the day with the pair, and Kiku didn't mind one bit. The brothers were so different from each other and from people he interacted with at his high school— they were a breath of fresh air, if you will, from his daily life. He found himself dreading closing time as that meant he would have to wait until next weekend to see Alfred and his brother again. Had he known he would be making friends, Kiku would have opted to spend the weekdays working at the festival as well. Not to mention he would have spent more time on his witch attire during his spare time; the fake witches he sees roaming around far surpassed his own clothing.

        “It’s getting dark. We should be getting back home, Al,” The wavy-haired blonde said as he checked his wristwatch. “Papa will get worried.” 

        Alfred groaned melodramatically. “But we just  _ got  _ here!” 

        “You made me drop you off earlier than me. Like, around nine in the morning, when the park opened.” Matthew rolled his eyes. “Plus, we have a paper due by the end of the break that you haven't even started.” 

        Kiku could tell Alfred wanted to reply, but instead he settled for pouting. “ _ Fine.  _ Keeks, do you want us to wait for you to clock out?” 

        While the offer was tempting, he knew he shouldn’t be selfish and keep them. “I’m okay. You two should get home before your father starts worrying. I still have an hour and a half left here.”  

They parted ways, and the last of his shift was spent with few customers. His sales were not as impressive as the past few days, but then again, people did not come to the renaissance festival for lotion or perfume. Now that he thought about it, Kiku hadn’t really had the chance to explore the park and see what new attractions they had himself. Even the tents next to his own were a mystery to him, and he figured he should at least drop by and see what they had for sale. 

Once he clocked out, the boy made his way back to the park, passing several food vendors and clothing shops that held little interest to him. The jousting competition only happened during the day, the sword fights had already been battled, and the park’s wind and fire show just had its last showing. No wonder Kiku’s family never visited during the evening - it was completely dry to anyone who didn’t enjoy alcohol or dancing. Even most of the shops were beginning to close up for the evening, and he was beginning to regret returning to the park when he heard someone call out towards him. 

“Young man!” the voice was flamboyant, and had a slight accent. “You there!” 

Kiku slowed his pace, glancing beside himself to make sure he hadn’t been mixed up with someone else. Looking over his shoulder, he hadn’t realized he had been passing by a fortune teller’s carriage. “Me?”

A man stood near the steps to the carriage, a cigarette in between his fingers. His golden, shoulder length curls stopped near his shoulders, and a soft blue silk scarf was wrapped around his head. His puffy, white blouse was tucked into a pair of simple black trousers, black flats completing the look. He indeed looked the part of a “typical” fortune teller that would attract customers. “Yes, you. Fancy a fortune? Or would you like to have your cards read?”

Witches were very familiar with the art of fortune telling. As both used a similar form of magic, they respected each other’s work, however kept their magic separate. Kiku had known a few fortune tellers through family, but he had never had his fortune told or picked from a tarot deck. Knowing the renaissance festival, the fortune tellers that were here were probably shams just as the other witches and fairies were. Still, the ability to tell one’s future was indeed something that fascinated Kiku, though he would never give up being a witch to tell fortunes for the rest of his life.

“I-I don’t think so,” he answered, fidgeting with the strap of his satchel. “I’m just about to head home.”

“Plenty of time for a card reading! It’s on the house.” the man was persistent, but something about him told Kiku that he was being earnest. Maybe he was a  _ real  _ fortune teller among fakes?

Kiku checked his phone for the time. He still had an hour left before curfew. “If you insist...”

“Of course I insist. Come, it’s warmer inside.” The blonde put out his cigarette and stared up the steps to the carriage. 

Kiku followed, thankful for the warmth of the carriage. It held a slight smoky smell - he guessed the man smoked frequently - and a hint of vanilla. A round table was set in the middle with two chairs on opposite sides of each other, and a deck of rectangular cards sat in the middle of the table. There was a locked cabinet with shelves full of different types of jars and bottles, every one labeled something different with a piece of white tape. Curtains covered the windows, and several brightly colored veils hung from the walls. Smaller drawers and cabinets lined the back wall, and from the ceiling hung a paper lamp in the shape of a flower bud, emitting a soft golden glow to the carriage. Overall, it was much more impressive than his own plain tent. 

“Have a seat,” the blonde gestured to the chair before him. “What’s your name?”

“Kiku,” the boy replied, taking a seat in the plush chair. “Honda.” 

“Nice to meet you, Kiku,” The man took the seat opposite of him, taking the deck of cards in his hands. “My name is Francis. Now, don’t look so nervous! Fortune telling and tarot readings are my specialty. I’ve been doing this for quite a long time.”

Kiku nodded, though his heart remained racing. “How-How does it work?”

Francis began shuffling the cards, “Well, that’s up to you. Is there a specific question you need answering to? Or would you just like to see what the cards say? For example, I can see what they have to say about your health or school career.”

“I don’t think I have a specific question...” he said meekly. “C-Can we just see what the cards have to say?” 

_ “Yes, no problem.”  _ Francis replied, and Kiku recognized his words as french. He finished shuffling the deck, fanning out the cards before the boy. “Pick ten cards.”

His fingers hovered above the cards, hesitant to pick. He remembered briefly a scene from a movie— he was supposed to be the cards that “called” to him, right? It was something straight out of a Disney Channel movie, but Kiku took the advice and eventually picked ten cards, keeping them face down as he handed them to Francis. The blonde gave a nod before setting the rest of the deck to the side, making room on the table for Kiku’s spread. 

Slender fingers set down the first card. “The Hermit.”

The card had an elderly man in a black robe, holding a staff with one hand and a lamp with the other. “What does it mean?”

“The Hermit represents loneliness, withdrawal, and isolation,” the blonde answered. “This first card is usually your present situation - meaning it’s safe to assume you possess these qualities.” He set down another card from the deck over the first card diagonally. “This would be your problem. The Tower.”

Kiku didn’t like the image of the burning tower in the card too much. “It looks...bad.”

“The Tower represents sudden change or sometimes disaster. Something is currently happening that you would dub as a ‘disaster’, no?” Francis smirked at Kiku’s surprised expression. “I won’t pry. Let’s move on to your past - The Moon.” Another card was set down next to the first two, displaying an image of three animals looking up towards a solemn moon. “The Moon represents fear, anxiety and insecurity; traits that have always been in your past.

“The next card,” Francis continued, laying down a card with an angel holding a trumpet below the first two cards, “is your recent past. On the one hand, Judgement is rebirth and absolution. On the other, it is also refusal of self-examination and self doubt. The latter applies to your situation. You’re refusing to recognize what you really want or even  _ ask  _ yourself what it is you desire from the current situation, which,” the next card was set down above the first two cards, and featured three people holding cups towards the sky, “could bring about The Three of Cups. Friendship, unity and community. Not just one new relationship, but several that could lead you out of your isolation.”

The witch could feel his face heating up. Francis wasn’t outright saying his situation and yet he might as well be spelling it out for him with the cards. “Is that what will happen?”

“It’s the best outcome. Your immediate future is...” the next card was put down. “Death!” 

“I - Wh-What?” Kiku’s eyes widened, and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest. “I’m going to die?”

Francis chuckled, shaking his head. “No, no!  _ Don’t worry.  _ Death, in this case, is a good-natured card. It brings transition, transformation and change for the better. Once you examine your current situation and really decide what you want out of your new relationship, change will come.

“One of the things holding you back, however, are The Two Swords.” The blonde slid the next card towards Kiku, sitting on the right of the first six cards. “They represent confusion, indecision and blocked emotions. You’re suppressing emotions in this situation because you’re scared of what they could bring in the future - which is understandable, seeing as you’re young and inexperienced with the type of feelings you’re currently dealing with. However, seeing as you’ve always had this tendency to isolate and doubt yourself, it’s no surprise you’re pushing these emotions away. Correct me if I’m assuming too much.”

“No...y-you’re fine.” Kiku mumbled shyly, avoiding his eyes. 

Francis nodded, then set the next card down above the last one. A child riding a horse beneath a sun was shown. “Your external influences in your situation: The Sun. Someone in your life now brings warmth and positivity, and may - or may not! - be directly involved with your relationship.

“Now, moving on to your hopes and fears: Nine of Wands,” this card featured a frightened man looking towards eight tall poles while holding one himself, and was placed above The Sun. “This card represents everything you hope for: courage, resilience, and persistence. The strength to take a leap of faith with this new relationship and forgo what others tell you. Because of this, you’re on edge, defensive and hesitant to take things further or even  _ consider  _ taking things further.

“Finally, your outcome in the future.” Kiku looked up towards the man, meeting his eyes anxiously. Francis laughed, amused at the boy’s seriousness. “Take it easy,  _ little one.  _ It’s The Two Cups,” the last card was set down above The Nine of Wands, two people holding cups towards each other, “A mutual attraction, love and partnership. If and once you become honest with yourself, the relationship will blossom, along with your new-found courage and resilience.”

“How...How can I know if this will really happen?” Kiku asked as Francis began collecting the cards. 

“The cards are really only used as guidance. They cannot truly tell one’s future unless they make an effort to change themselves from what guidance the cards give them.” He stacked the cards in the middle of the table before leaning back in his chair. “Make sense, Kiku?”

The boy nodded slowly, thinking over his words and the cards. As much as he hated to admit it, they were both right. About  _ everything.  _

Once Kiku walked down the steps of the carriage, he looked back towards the man with a curious look. “Francis, how long did you say you’ve been telling fortunes and reading tarot cards?”

The blonde lit another cigarette, inhaling deeply before answering. “Let’s just say I’ve been to this festival and many others like it since before you and your family came to the States.” He gave a wink, “Good luck with him, Kiku.” 

Kiku smiled in return, warm and grateful. He started on his way towards the parking lot, thinking back to something his brother had told him once about fortune tellers. 

“They’re rumored to live for hundreds of years, traveling the world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had to research extensively on tarot cards and tarot readings the things i do for aph  
> also if none of this is accurate i will scream i did not spend three hours reading about the celtic cross tarot spread for nothing


	4. Ramen Noodles and Friend-versaries

It was Kiku’s third weekend working the lotion and perfume tent, and his third week “friend-versary” with Alfred, as the blonde had put it one evening over text. The fact that he was keeping track of how long they knew each other surprised the witch. It also made his face feel warm and made his chest feel fuzzy, but Kiku tried not to think about that too much. 

Though, after having his cards read by Francis the other night, he spent more time  _ thinking _ . Most of the time it was about Alfred, but the other part of it was about himself and what he thought he should do now that someone knew who he was.  Someone knew who he was and wasn’t going to tell everyone or try to hunt him down, like his parents had always warned him about. Someone was making his days full of things to look forward to, and like the cards had said before, Alfred was filling his days with sunshine even on rainy days. 

He was friends with Alfred Jones and anyone could tell that there was some level of mutual attraction to each other platonically, but was he really ready if something were to happen to change their relationship? He’d never dated anyone before, let alone another  _ boy, _ and while his family had no problem with whatever sexual orientation Kiku might declare, he still felt anxious. He was in no way an overtly affectionate person, whereas Alfred practically used physical touch with everyone he talked to. They could hold a conversation well enough, but Kiku wasn’t as talkative as the other. On some nights he even fell asleep during their text messaging because Alfred would be telling a story or recounting a recent event of his. 

He had his head buried in his arms as he sat near the cash register, head spinning from debating with itself all morning. Kiku hadn’t even noticed someone had stepped into the shop until he heard his name being called out.

Immediately he looked up, but instead of meeting crystal blue eyes he had been waiting for, he met eyes with a pair of honey brown irises. “Kiku!”

“Feliciano, Ludwig,” the witch stood from his seat, moving to greet his two friends. Neither of them were dressed for the festival, instead donning normal clothes. Knowing Ludwig, he was probably too embarrassed to put on a costume and Feliciano wouldn’t want him to feel pressured. “I forgot you two were visiting today. I’m sorry, I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“Is it about Alfred?” The brunet grinned, pulling away from hugging Kiku. “Is he coming today? Can we finally meet him?”

“Y-Yes, he’s coming by today.” He replied. “He said it was our three week ‘friend-versary’.” 

“‘Friend-versay’?” Ludwig asked, sharing a bemused glance with Feli. “Sounds like something Feli would have come up with.”

The raven-haired boy nodded, chuckling at their expressions. “I don’t have a clue, either. I assume it’s like an anniversary but without the romance.” He moved to sit behind the cash register, gesturing for the two to take a seat. “How are you two liking the festival?”

“Can you believe Ludwig’s never been to the renaissance festival? In his entire _ life?”  _ Feliciano started dramatically, giving an incredulous look towards the blonde. 

“I only moved here a few years ago, Feliciano. And I’ve been to a few in Germany.” He rolled his eyes in response. He turned to Kiku, “So far, it’s nice. I’ve already asked Feli, but what food do you think I should try?”

Kiku thought for a moment before his eyes lit up. “The candied apples are Yao’s and my favorite. Which I keep forgetting to bring him...” 

The three met during Kiku’s freshman year of highschool. Ludwig had been a foreign exchange student that had caught the attention of Feliciano, and Kiku’s quiet demeanor naturally attracted Ludwig. While the two were completely oblivious to the fact that they were close friends with a witch, it never came up in the years they had known each other. They had been inseparable, and for the past two years they had shared Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas together with a special potluck each time.   

(That past Halloween, Feliciano had convinced the three of them to dress as Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Kiku was lucky enough to had been Luke - Ludwig was left to be Princess Leia as Feliciano’s favorite character was Han Solo.)

“You should invite Alfred to the next potluck,” The Italian chirped, caramel eyes glinting. “More people, more food!”

“As much as I like Alfred, I wouldn’t want to impose on our tradition,” Kiku answered truthfully, appreciating the gesture. “It’s always been just the three of us.”

“So you  _ do  _ like him?” 

“He’s red to his ears, leave him alone, Feli,” While Ludwig sounded serious, Kiku could still hear the smile in his voice over him blushing up to his ears. 

“That-That  _ isn’t _ what I meant.” He mumbled, avoiding the pair’s eyes. Feliciano laughed. 

As they soon jumped into a discussion about their upcoming exams and how they each  _ dreaded _ Mr. Roderich’s musical theory exam, footsteps came bounding up the stairs to the tent followed by a loud cry of “Kiku, dude!” 

Kiku was out of his seat as soon as he heard the footsteps, but was unprepared when he felt two arms wrap around him in what he could only describe as a bear hug - and he instantly knew it was Alfred who had arrived. His blush from earlier came flooding back into his cheeks full-force, and before he could even return the hug the blonde had pulled away, grinning a dazzling grin. 

“Happy three week friend-versary!” Alfred held out a small, velvet black pouch for him to take.

Kiku’s eyes flickered between the pouch and Alfred’s eyes, unsure of what to say. They were supposed to give each other gifts? If that were the case, he could have gotten him something from the shop - the lotion or cologne he had first bought on the day they met. Alfred should have told him it was customary to give each other gifts - now it looked as if Kiku didn’t care enough to get him a gift. “Alfred, I-I can’t...”

“No, yes, you can,” he insisted, placing the pouch in one of Kiku’s hands. “Really. I actually just got it this morning at one of the shops.” 

“I didn’t get you anything, though.” He knit his eyebrows together in disappointment, a small frown on the witch’s face. 

“You can get me something for our next friend-versary. Don’t sweat it, Keeks.” 

With that smile, Kiku couldn’t bring himself to argue further. He took the pouch, a warm smile spreading across his face. “Thank you.”

A throat clearing behind him brought them out of their moment. Alfred looked behind him and met eyes with Ludwig and Feli, who had been watching their interaction with obvious interest. “No way! Are they your friends? The ones you told me about?” 

“Y-Yes. Feliciano, Ludwig, this is Alfred Jones. Alfred, these are two of my classmates, Feliciano Vargas and Ludwig Beilschmidt.” 

The two rose to meet the blonde, who met them with the energy of an excited puppy. As expected, he instantly hit it off with Feli, who had matched his energy and positivity.While Ludwig may not have met his energy, he did get a good first impression from the earlier interaction with Kiku. Overall, both Feli and Ludwig could tell Alfred truly cared for Kiku - whether it were in a romantic or platonic way was left a mystery to them, however. Alfred seemed the type to gift any of his friends. Regardless, it was a relief to Kiku that his closest friends had gotten along with him.

Kiku suddenly remembered something during their conversation. “Feli, Ludwig, aren’t you two going to look around the festival? I feel as if I’m keeping you.”

“Oh, yeah!” The brunet gasped, turning to the taller of the four. “If we hurry, we can make the jousting tournament!” 

“I’d feel rude to leave,” Ludwig said, to which the witch shook his head. 

“I’m fine, really. This  _ is  _ my job, after all.” 

Alfred hooked his arm around Kiku’s shoulders, and he could feel the blush reach up to his ears. “Yeah, and he’s got me to keep him company!”

Feliciano and Ludwig shared a quick glance before agreeing to leave, promising to stop by on their way home. The raven haired boy turned towards the blonde, shrugging out of Alfred’s arms. “You say it isn't necessary, but I still insist on giving you a gift somehow.” 

“Keeks, it's really fine,” he waved him off, but then seemed to think better of it. “Well, okay, you  _ can,  _ but you really don't have to.” 

“I really do,” Kiku insisted. 

“Then instead of getting me an actual present, come with me to this really good ramen house.” His eyes were shining more than they usually did. “I've been there  once with Matt and it was  _ the  _ best ramen I've ever had.”  

Now, Kiku Honda had never truly been asked out on a date before, but from what he's seen in television shows and various anime, this sounded like a date. Unless there was going to be others joining them, but with the way Alfred phrased the request, it didn't sound like there was going to be anyone else but the two of them. Which was perfectly fine, as that was how it was every weekend, but this was going to be in a much more intimate setting - but what if this was  _ just _ two friends going out together? He’d be disappointed if it  _ were _ just a friendly outing, but he’d still be just as terrified if it were something else. 

Kiku could feel his palms grow clammy, but attempted to calm down his nerves. He hasn’t even said yes yet and he’s already having a panic attack. “Would-Would it be just the two of us?”

“Totally,” Alfred - for once - sensed the anxious mood and quickly added, “if you’re cool with that. We could invite Feli and -”

“No, no,” Kiku wasn’t sure how he was even able to speak; his heart was practically in his throat. “It’s okay. That would be nice. I think I could go for some ramen.” 

Alfred’s grin couldn’t possibly be any brighter. “Sweet! I can pick you up. Are you free this Friday night?” 

He nodded, feeling a smile grow onto his lips. Date or not, Kiku found himself excited.

* * *

 

The week could not have gone any faster for the both of them. Finally, after several homework assignments and three pop quizzes on Alfred’s end, Friday evening had arrived.

Yao had helped Kiku with his outfit choice - even after several attempts of sending him away, he remained to help his little brother on his first “date” - and sent him off when Alfred had pulled into their driveway. He was obviously more excited and enthusiastic for this date than Kiku, who was nearly trembling and about ready to turn tail and run back into the house. A date was obviously what he wanted, but he didn’t think it would happen so  _ soon.  _

The drive was pleasant enough; there weren’t many moments of silence as Alfred talked enough for the both of them. His driving was also enough to comment on; Kiku wouldn’t categorize it as “road rage”, but more as bitter and sarcastic commenting that made him actually laugh out loud. 

The restaurant was not too far from Kiku’s place, so they arrived relatively soon. It was

smaller than most others Kiku had been to, but there was quite a lot of people waiting outside so it must be good to attract so many customers. There was a list of names with size of their parties on the window the the restaurant, which Alfred quickly scribbled down, and occasionally someone would step out and call a name. It was definitely different from the ramen houses Kiku has been to before, but it wasn’t too cold outside and Alfred was not at all bad company to wait with. 

“I don’t wanna be stereotypical or anything, but does your family make their own ramen?” The blonde asked, hands stuffed into his jacket pockets. 

Kiku chuckled. “It’s very rare when my parents make it. Since I’m half japanese and half chinese, we get a mix of both types of food.”

“Dude, you’re so lucky. My dad can’t cook for shit,” He laughed, enticing another giggle from Kiku. “Matt does literally all the cooking when he’s not around.”

“What about you?”

“I  _ would  _ cook, but I, like my father, have zero skills in the kitchen. I survive off of fast food and Mattie’s pancakes.”

“Well,” the boy started, cautiously, “if you’d like, you could come by sometime and try my parents’ cooking.” 

Alfred nodded enthusiastically, and that warm feeling spread across Kiku’s chest again. “Dude, yes! I'm so down.” 

Their table was called, and they were led inside by one of the hostesses. The restaurant at was indeed much smaller than it looked on the outside, with five booths against the walls and several tables in the middle. The kitchen was also small and appeared practically squished against the back of the restaurant, waiters rushing in and out with bowls of ramen in their hands. The hostess led them to one of the middle tables, handing them menus. 

Kiku was surprised to see the menus were mainly in Japanese, with English translations underneath the characters. “What do you recommend, Alfred?” 

His blue eyes scanned the menu before pointing to a picture of a bowl of ramen on his menu, “Last time I was here, I got that one. But this other one is pretty spicy and Mattie got the vegetable one.” 

The options looked absolutely delicious. There wasn't much to choose from aside the five main types of ramen, but Kiku had had most of the foods listed on the menu. They had agreed on ordering pork  _ gyoza  _ as an appetizer before ordering their own choice of ramen, leaving the two of them to make conversation after the waiter left. It always amazed the witch how  _ easily  _ the two of them could fall into conversation; usually, Kiku would struggle to keep the conversation going or even put in effort to talk, but topic after topic seemed to flow from his mouth when he was with Alfred. Like Feliciano and Ludwig, their conversations were effortless and smooth, laughs bubbling out of the both of them at each sarcastic remark or witty comment. If this was a date, then the both of them could get used to it.

Their soup and  _ gyoza _ had arrived rather quickly, much to their delight. Kiku broke his chopsticks apart, picked up his duck spoon and was about to dig in until he noticed Alfred had his phone out, facing him.

“What?” Kiku stirred his soup, raising an eyebrow. 

“It’s your first time, I need to get this for Snapchat,” the blonde replied matter-o-factly, grinning at Kiku’s expression after taking his first bite of the noodles. “How is it?”

If there was one thing Kiku Honda appreciated, it was good food - and this was  _ really  _ good, authentic food. “This is... _ the  _ best ramen I’ve had in a long time.”

“Right!” He set his phone down and picked up his own chopsticks, breaking them apart. “I’m stoked you like it. The  _ gyoza  _ is really good, too. ” 

Alfred had gotten the  _ tantanmen _ , and Kiku had gotten the traditional  _ tonkotsu _ ramen (to play it safe; he wasn’t entirely convinced the restaurant would be as good as it ended up being). After trying Alfred’s, Kiku had vowed to get the  _ tantanmen _ the next time he would visit - or  _ they _ would visit. Was it too soon to be imagining future dates? Probably, but for now, the witch didn’t care. There was good food and good company, so that was all he would focus on. 

Bowls nearly empty and  _ gyoza  _ eaten, Alfred insisted on paying the check. While what they had wasn’t exactly expensive, Kiku felt obliged to pay since this was his gift for their “friend-versary”, but was persuaded - only because the blonde had given his card to the waiter faster than Kiku could. 

“Thank you, Alfred,” the raven-haired boy had said once they were out of the restaurant and into the chilly night air. “That was really good.”

“Thanks for going out with me! I don’t like going out to eat alone,” he replied, falling into step with the shorter boy. “Plus, I’ve been meaning to take you out. I mean, not in, like, a date way, if that’s what you’re thinking - unless you’re cool with that, then this is totally a date. But only if you’re cool with it, I mean, I don’t even know if you swing that way -”

“Alfred.” Kiku was red to the tips of his ears, despite the cold. They both had stopped walking. 

He looked towards him, instantly regretting letting his mouth go off. He expected to see confusion, disgust or even anger, but instead Kiku looked -  _ happy.  _ Granted, he refused to look at Alfred, but there was a hint of a smile on his face and his blush was enough to match that of a tomato. “Kiku, look, I didn’t mean to...”

The boy shook his head. “D-Don’t apologize. I wasn’t sure you felt that way, but now that I know you do...” Brown eyes met blue. “I guess I should be honest about it, too.”

“...Holy shit, no way,” It wasn’t exactly the response Kiku was looking for, but it did make him laugh. “Dude, you’re joshing me.”

“I’m not.” He smiled at his surprised expression. “I don’t eat ramen with just anyone, you know.” 

Foregoing Kiku’s personal bubble, Alfred engulfed Kiku in another hug, laughing into his hair. The shorter didn’t find himself minding, even around so many people. “I believe you!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya'll i had ramen at this really great ramen house and it tasted like jesus


	5. Fire Breathing and Target Practice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long ass chapter ahead.   
> sorry for the delay! the holidays caught up with me.

“So, like, no hand holding? Ever?”

“Not  _ ever, _ just...not in public.”

“What about kissing?”

Kiku didn’t know if it were possible to blush any harder than what he already was. It had barely been over two weeks of dating and he had blushed more times than he could count. “W-We haven’t even done that, yet!”

The blonde snickered, finding his blush endearing. “Can’t hurt to plan ahead. But seriously, what’s up with you and PDA? I mean, I’m okay with your severe hatred for it, but I’m curious.” 

“I don’t have a ‘severe hatred’ for it. I’m just not...used to it,” His voice dropped to a mumble. “This is my first actual relationship.” 

Alfred couldn’t help grinning like a dope, reaching to lightly pinch one of Kiku’s warm cheeks. “Keeks, when you get all cute like that I literally can’t help it. And you’re cute  _ all  _ the time.” His eyes dropped down to his neck, noticing the black string tied loosely around it. “Hey, you’re wearing the gift I got you!”

Kiku’s hand closed around the gem tied to the black string around his neck. The necklace Alfred had gotten him was from one of the gem shops: a small, polished sugilite gem. His knowledge of gemstones was very limited, but the deep violet color was appealing and stood out against his pale skin. “Of course. Though, I still feel obliged to get you something in return.” 

“A funnel cake sounds like a good payment.” He suggested. Kiku rolled his eyes, smiling. The festival had just opened, and the smell of freshly fried funnel cakes wafted into the potions tent from the food vendors nearby. He had to admit, they smelled divine despite already having had breakfast a few hours before. 

That Sunday proved to be a particularly slow day for the business, even though the park was just as full as any other day. This weekend’s theme happened to be dragon themed, and the few people that had stepped into the shop were dressed beyond appropriately. Some of them had constructed their own sets of wings, claws and tails. Dragons were widely known within the witching world and stretched beyond just witches; they used to populate the entire world before they had been slayed over the years by various dragon slayers. Dragon slayers, together with witch and mermaid hunters, had driven many mythical creatures out of their homes and in the case of mermaids, to the near point of extinction. Mermaids haven’t ventured of the water in ages due to the fear of being caught and sold. 

Kiku had never met a dragon, however. Neither has his family, but his family friends have had their fair share of dragon encounters. They were said to be very proud and notoriously greedy, with a penchant for collecting jewelry. Like mermaids, they, too, had human forms that they relied on during the day, however their skin remained completely fire proof. He’d be lying if he said he never wanted to meet one, dragon form or not. 

Hours passed by, and per Alfred’s request, he took his lunch break to join him for a well-deserved funnel cake. Once in line for one of the vendors, Kiku took notice of the large crowd gathered around one of the small stages set next to the various food vendors, awaiting a performance. Alfred noticed this, “It’s for the fire and wind show. Or is it fire breathing? One of the two.”

The smaller boy shivered. “Fire breathing sounds so dangerous. Would you be able to do it?” 

“I think I’m already hot enough.” He grinned, and Kiku covered his mouth as he laughed. 

The line moved quickly, thankfully, and the two were soon sitting at one of the benches near the potions tent with a decent view of the stage. Alfred took the first bite of the dessert, powdered sugar dusting one of his cheeks. “This is definitely acceptable payment.” 

Kiku reached a hand out to wipe at the sugar, “Definitely not. I’ll find something better.” 

Before Alfred could reply, the crowd broke out in cheers as the stage’s curtains were drawn and out stepped a tall, burly figure. He had a thick, red scarf wrapped around his neck, and donned a familiar renaissance costume as many of the other employees - however, his was all black leather with red accents. His hair was almost as pale as his skin, the sun glittering against it as he greeted the audience with a sweet smile. His stature was something you would expect to be doing a deed as dangerous as fire breathing, however his face seemed almost too delicate to even come in contact with the element. Yet if he looked so excited to get started, who was Kiku to tell him otherwise? 

“Good afternoon!” His european accent was evident as he spoke through his headset microphone. “I assume you all came for the fire and wind show?” 

The audience cheered a response back, to which he chuckled. “The wind seems to have blown us in the right direction! My name is Ivan, and I will be your fire expert for today’s performance. My partner,” he gestured towards a slightly shorter and much more slender man as he pushed aside the stage’s curtains to walk on stage, “Toris, will be our wind expert. Without further prattling, let’s get started!” 

Toris had slightly longer, chestnut colored hair, which he had tied back into a low ponytail. In contrast to Ivan, his own set of clothes were all white with green accents. He had come from backstage with several materials in his hands, which he laid out onto a wooden table which sat to the far left of the stage. Kiku and Alfred couldn’t quite see what items were on the table, but they listened on with interest. 

It seemed that Ivan was up first. He pulled on a pair of leather gloves before picking up a black whip from the table, along with a small, thin candle. He held the whip away from his face and set the candle towards the bottom of the leather, igniting the entire string except for the handle. The crowd expressed a noise of awe and slight concern, but seemed to lean in closer for a better look. Ivan handed the candle to Toris before turning back towards the audience. “Just to be clear, I know exactly what I’m doing,” He grinned, pulling a laugh from the audience. “Those of you in the front row may feel a bit warmer for the next few minutes.” 

He took a few steps away from the edge of the stage before cracking his whip, a burst of flames erupting from the leather towards the audience. Alfred and Kiku let out a noise of surprise along with the audience, having finished their funnel cake a few moments before. Ivan laughed at their surprise, tossing the whip into the air and catching it with his other hand. He threw it into the air once more, flipping it once and successfully catching it again with the same hand. Another crack, another burst of flames sent towards the audience. This went on for the next few minutes; skilled tossing and catching combined with loud cracks of his whip. When he saw that the audience was beginning to tire of his routine, the corners of Ivan’s lips twitched into a slight smirk. He tossed the whip in a bucket of water and walked towards the table once more to pick up a black rod, igniting it with the candle. He took a swig from a bottle on the table, but didn’t drink it immediately, instead keeping the liquid in his mouth,

“What’s in his mouth?” Alfred asked, standing up to try to get a better view. 

Kiku mimicked his actions, but wasn’t able to see over the heads of some people. “No idea. Is he going to try fire breathing?” 

Ivan returned to the center of the stage, backing up a bit. He gripped the rod tightly, bringing it close to his mouth and blowing out a stream of fire, dazzling the audience. The pale-haired man took their amazement as encouragement, bringing to his lips once more and blowing out a burst of flames that swirled into the air. 

Kiku was only able to see the fire itself, but he could guess that Ivan was fire breathing. He was on the tips of his toes, straining to see over the crowd, and once Alfred noticed this, he felt his cheeks flush as a grin spread over his features. How did he manage to be so  _ cute?  _

“Keeks, here,” The blonde turned his back to him, squatting down slightly. “You’ll see better with a piggyback ride.”

The blush on the shorter boy’s face could rival that of the fire that was currently filling the air. “Y-You don’t have to...”

“I know, but I  _ want  _ to.” 

He knew there was no arguing with him. He hesitantly climbed onto his back, setting his hands onto Alfred’s shoulders as he felt his feet leave the ground. He wasn’t self conscious about his weight, but this was technically some form of PDA that he definitely did not prepare himself for. Though, Kiku did get a better view of what was happening on stage with Ivan, who was still wowing the audience with his fire breathing techniques. Toris stood to the side, polishing a set of arrows with a cloth. 

What Kiku found strange, however, is that Ivan had not taken another drink of the liquid from the bottle on the table in quite a while. While he may have had the audience fooled, the witch could easily tell there was nothing in his mouth when he blew out puff after puff of fire. Not to mention the fire itself was beginning to extend a bit further into the air, growing longer and longer as if trying to reach the sky. 

The boy leaned down towards Alfred’s ear, “I think Ivan’s a dragon.” 

Alfred craned his neck back towards him, his voice laced with excitement. “What? Dude, really? How can you tell?”

“He hasn’t touched that bottle in the past few minutes. He’s making the flames on his own.” The blonde looked back towards the man on stage, paying close attention to the way he puffed his cheeks out to make it appear as if he were holding the liquid inside. “The audience just doesn’t realize it because they’re so entranced by the fire.  _ Real _ dragon’s fire is different from ordinary fire.” 

Ivan blew out one final breath of fire directly into the sky, the edges curling out and leaving slight sparks in the air. The audience cheered and he graciously took a bow, grinning at the response he received. “Thank you! I think that’s enough fire for now. I think we should move onto the wind portion of our performance, wouldn’t you agree?”

The crowd responded positively, Ivan taking a step to the side as Toris took center stage. He gave a shy smile towards the audience, gloved hands adjusting his head mic. He had a bow strapped his his person and a bag of arrows hanging onto his right shoulder. “Thank you, Ivan,” Like his partner before him, Toris also had a european accent. “I think we’ve had enough of fire for today, right? I’d say we get right to the  _ interesting _ part of the show!”

He removed the bow from his person and grabbed an arrow from his bag, rolling his shoulders. “For those of you who didn’t notice, there are targets placed on several of the trees and buildings around the stage.” Toris pointed towards one of the food vendor’s buildings, where a target sat at the very top of its roof; towards the three that Alfred and Kiku were standing next to; and finally, towards a particularly tall tree which stood a little ways past Kiku’s potion tent. The last one looked especially challenging due to its distance, and Kiku noticed there were arrows lodged in all three targets. “We will warm up with those before we move on to moving targets.”

The crowd applauded, watching as he began loading the arrow onto the bow, which he pointed towards the ground. He nocked the arrow, attaching the back of the arrow to the bowstring before bringing the bow upright, directly pointing to the target that stood on the food vendor’s roof. The crowd was completely hushed, Alfred and Kiku holding their breaths in anticipation as Toris drew back the string, one eye closed shut for better accuracy. A pause - and then the arrow shot through the air, puncturing the target’s bulls-eye along with an arrow that had previously been lodged in its center. Toris didn’t pay much attention to the audience’s impressed reaction, instead loading his bow with another arrow to take aim at the tree the duo found themselves standing next to. Luckily, the target was a placed a bit higher on its trunk instead of directly next to the two. The brunet closed one eye again and let the arrow fly, landing directly in its center once again. Kiku flinched at the sound, but looked up towards the target with Alfred in awe. 

Another arrow was loaded into his bow, raised towards the tall tree near the potion tent. The crowd was silenced again, all looking towards either the tree or the bowman as he took a few moments to perfect his aim with one eye shut. The string was drawn and the arrow flew with intense speed towards the target, landing directly in the middle of it and, again, cutting straight into another arrow, splitting it in half. The audience broke out in whoops and hollers. 

Toris took a bow, grinning. “Thank you! But now, we can move onto the fun part,” he gestured towards Ivan, who now stood next to the table with newly added items. He picked up a bright red apple, tossing it between his hands. “Ivan will act as my assistant. He will throw various objects - like this apple - into the air and I will try to shoot them so they will land in those targets, up there.” Three targets sat on the top of the stage, just above the curtains. 

He nodded towards Ivan, loading his bow and raising it to aim at the target on the far left. Ivan chucked the apple into the air, directly in front of the target and Toris wasted no time in shooting, his arrow piercing through the fruit and hitting the target perfectly. 

“Wow,” Kiku gasped, watching as another fruit was tossed into the air and ruptured into the next target. “He’s  _ really _ good.” 

“Do you think he’s, like, something mystical?” The blonde asked, following another arrow as it hit its target. He shifted Kiku a bit higher so he could get a better view. 

“Unless being a very talented bowman can be considered ‘mystical’, I don’t think so.” He laughed, but it was slightly drowned out by the crowd’s enthusiastic response. 

Toris took another bow, smiling proudly at his handiwork. He gestured towards Ivan, who also took a small bow. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for our last segment!” The brunet said as the taller of the two took another apple from the table and positioned himself stage right, directly in front of another target which hung on a tree right next to the stage. “My assistant will stand a little ways in front of the target with a fruit on his head, and I will try to shoot it off. However, there is a catch.” While he explained the next act to the audience, Toris had traded his wooden bows for a single leather one, igniting the arrowhead with the candle from earlier. Both Alfred and Kiku gasped along with the audience. 

He stood center stage, bow poised and aimed directly at the apple which sat on top of Ivan’s head. If Ivan was scared, he was hiding it very well with a small smile on his lips. As Toris shut one eye again, he drew back his string. The arrow flew past his fingers, red and orange flames lacing around the leather as the arrowhead shot through the apple, knocking it clean off of Ivan’s head and into the target behind him, igniting it in the process. Not a hair on Ivan’s head was singed. 

“Ivan didn't even flinch!” Alfred exclaimed, blue eyes wide. 

“I’m sure I’d faint.” Kiku replied, watching as the two men took their respective bows and disappeared behind the curtains of the stage. The audience began to disperse, picking up their belongings to go on with their day, and Alfred set Kiku back down on the ground. “T-Thank you, Alfred. You’re right, I was able to see a bit better.” 

“Told you.” He flashed a grin, and glanced towards the stage. “Hey, do you still have time left for your break?” 

The witch raised an eyebrow. “Um, I think so. Why?” Alfred didn’t answer, but instead began walking down towards the stage, hopping down through the benches until he reached the stage itself. Kiku followed behind, “Alfred, we can’t! Are we even allowed backstage?” 

The blonde walked around towards the edge of the stage, climbing up. Kiku debated whether or not to follow him, nervously glancing between the people around them and the stage until he eventually gave in, climbing up after him. They ducked in behind the heavy curtains, finding various props and several backdrops, but neither Toris or Ivan. 

Alfred frowned. “Where did dragon-boy go?” 

Kiku looked back towards the curtains anxiously, but couldn't help but be curious about their whereabouts, also. It wasn't too dark that they couldn't see where they were going, and after a few moments of exploring, he came across a door leading outside. He was sure they would certainly get into trouble if they were caught, and he might have even jeopardized his  _ job  _ over an assumption. A wild one, at that. 

Alfred cautiously opened the door, which led to a small area outside that was gated off from the public. Props such as chairs and tables were stacked up along the fence, along with racks of colorful costumes. When the two peeked outside, they were immediately met with Ivan and Toris, who were setting away the props they used for the performance. They didn’t hear the door open and their backs were turned, absorbed in conversation.

“Don’t you think you might have overdone it, a bit?” The brunet asked, placing his bow into its carrier case. “Someone could have figured out your fire was real.” 

Ivan waved him off, wrapping the whip’s leather into a tight circle. “There are hardly any dragon hunters around, anymore, just as there are hardly any dragons. You worry too much, Toris.”

“I worry because I don’t want you meeting the same fate as your sister.” 

“Irunya was much more careless than I am. Her capture was not your fault,” His violet eyes flickered from the whip in his hands to Toris. He switched to his native language, _“Do not worry._ _It happened too long ago for me to be severely affected by it anymore.”_

The shorter of the duo sighed, placing his arrows into the case alongside his bow. “I know. Just promise me that you’ll be more careful for these last few weekends. The festival ends next month and -” 

His sentence was cut short when Ivan held up his hand. He sniffed the air once, before turning to look towards the door, meeting two pairs of eyes. Instead of the angry response they expected, the man only smiled knowingly. “I’d know the smell of a witch anywhere.” 

Kiku’s heart nearly stopped. He was able to simply  _ smell  _ that? He wasn’t aware there was a distinct scent that witches even  _ carried!  _ Alfred moved in front of him, almost shielding him away in case he attempted to hurt them. And though dragons didn’t have a history of eating anything besides sheep and other various animals, Kiku still felt a pang of fear strike his heart. 

Ivan only laughed, as did Toris. He gestured for the two to step through the door, shaking his head. “Please, do not be scared. I may be a dragon, but I’m no witch hunter. Neither is Toris.” 

Alfred gave a wary look. “How could you tell Kiku was a witch?”

The pale-haired man tapped his nose. “Dragons have great senses of smell. Even onstage I was able to tell there was a witch nearby - you all have a distinct smell of broomsticks and cauldron fire. Of course, there are variations based on which element you focus on, but it boils down to those two things every time. Based on the lack of any other element, though, I assume you haven’t chosen which to practice?”

The shorter teen shook his head timidly as the blonde moved to stand next to him instead, shutting the door behind them. “N-Not yet.” 

“So, you’re really a dragon?” Alfred couldn’t help but ask, excitement suddenly evident in his voice. 

Toris answered for him. “Yes, he is. Ivan’s been alive for nearly - how long was it? Four hundred years?”

“It will be four hundred and three this upcoming spring.” 

“Ah, that’s right. I met him when he was around two hundred and fifty-four years old. We’ve grown up together for quite some time.”

Kiku suddenly connected the dots in his head. “You’re an elf!”

Of course, it made perfect sense. Elves were much more common than dragons due to their uncanny resemblance to humans, which made it much easier to blend into society throughout the years. Dragons and mermaids needed to eventually revert back to their human form after so long, or else risk accidentally turning in public. Elves were also incredibly skilled in archery and hunting, as they lived in forests throughout history. Now that Kiku was a bit closer to Toris, he saw that the tips of his ears were pointed upwards, which could easily be taken as makeup or a costume during the festival.

The brunet nodded. “You’re very observant. I can assume your friend is human?”

Alfred nodded, slightly embarrassed about being the only “normal” species amongst them. Kiku replied, “He found out about a month ago.”  

“It’s always nice when witches and humans get along with each other. It wasn’t always like that.” Ivan said, leaning against the wooden table they had used onstage earlier. “I don’t think we’ve had an actual witch working at the festival in quite a while.” 

“We’ve had our fair share of other dragons and elves, and the occasional mermaid every so often, but not witches. This is truly an honor,” Toris held his hand out for Kiku to shake, which he did albeit shyly. “Have you met Francis, yet? I’m sure he’d be more than willing to give you a free card reading.”

“Oh, yes, I have,” Kiku answered, smiling at the memory. “His trade was very interesting. I had only heard of fortune tellers, but experiencing a genuine card reading was quite something.” He needed to go back and thank him for the advice with Alfred. 

“But, if I may ask,” Ivan interjected, changing the subject. “Why you two were so curious to come backstage? I’m surprised you didn’t get caught.”

“We sort of -” The blonde gave a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, we were wondering if you  _ really  _ were a dragon and wanted to see if you were gonna, like, turn into a real dragon, or something.” 

_ We?  _ Kiku questioned in his mind, giving him a side glance. 

Toris and Ivan shared a glance before grinning in amusement at their curiosity. Humans were very easily dazzled by otherworldly beings and subjects. “Well, if he turned into a dragon, over half of the festival’s buildings and tents would be wiped out. He’s barely able to keep his fire breathing to a minimum.”

Ivan adjusted his scarf, wrapping it a bit more snug against his neck. “This scarf keeps me from going extremely overboard. It was made by my sister, but Toris had it charmed by a witch to help keep my identity a secret.” 

Alfred’s disappointment was evident in his response. “Shucks.” 

The pale-haired man laughed once more, reaching forward to ruffle his blonde hair. “Don’t look so upset,  _ little one.  _ When the festival is over and done with next month, come find Toris and I.” He gave the pair a wink, taking a step back. “I can at least show you genuine dragon fire.” 

This seemed to appease Alfred, whose eyes shined with a newfound anticipation. “Really? That’d be wicked!” 

The two excused themselves after a bit more chatting, since Kiku’s break technically ended over fifteen minutes ago. Discreetly - or as discreetly they could be while exiting the front of the stage - they weaved their way through the crowd and back towards the potion tent. No customers were there, thankfully, when they returned. However, on their way back, something from one of the shops nearby had caught the witch’s eye. 

“So he really  _ is  _ a dragon. A real life dragon!” Alfred was practically buzzing with excitement as Kiku headed into the back tent to grab his satchel. “This is possibly one of the greatest days of my life.”

“You’re probably the world’s greatest secret keeper.” The shorter of the two commented, smiling at his enthusiasm. He slipped his satchel over his shoulder, “Will you watch the shop for a few minutes while I do something? I’ll be right back.” 

He agreed, taking up a spot next to the cash register as Kiku left to run whatever errand he needed to run. His mind was still caught up with the fact that he had just met and talked to an elf and a dragon - how many humans can say they’ve done that? 

It didn’t take Kiku very long to do whatever he needed to do, and he was back in a little over six minutes with a small, black pouch in hand. Alfred, who had his head in his arms, sat up once he entered the shop. “So, what’d you need to do?” 

He didn’t answer, but held out the black pouch for him to take. Before Alfred could decline, he took one of his hands to place the pouch in. “Open it. I insist.”

The blonde pursed his lips and furrowed his eyebrows together, but didn’t resist. He pulled out a necklace which held a gem identical to the one that hung around Kiku’s neck, blue eyes growing slightly wide. “This is...like the one I got you.” 

“Yes. I thought matching necklaces would be a good gift,” He watched as Alfred tied the black string around his neck, double knotting it to make sure it wouldn’t fall or loosen. “Do you like it?”

“Do I  _ like  _ it?” He asked incredulously, standing from his seat to make his way around the register to pull Kiku into a tight embrace. The smaller boy squeaked in surprise at the sudden affection, but relaxed once he heard Alfred laughing. “This is possibly the  _ cutest _ present I’ve ever gotten.” 

He let a warm smile settle onto his face, reaching up to wrap his arms around his neck. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> backstory on ivan because holy shit was i excited to write about him:  
> \- DRAGON!!!!!!  
> \- older sister (ukraine) got caught by a dragon hunter when he was around one hundred years old (so like, when he was a child) and he's never seen her since, so his family assumed she was dead  
> \- met toris in a field one day as a teenager when he was hunting a pack of sheep, but little did he know that those sheep were TORIS' SHEEP   
> \- they became friends when he reverted back to his human form to apologize   
> \- loooooooves flying   
> \- his fire isn't actually just orange and red it's like blue and green and teal when he isn't holding back it's actually really pretty to look at 
> 
> we should be getting to some good stuff after the festival ends btw —✩


	6. Eagle Scouts and Power Napping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reeeeeeeeally fluffy chapter. sort of a build up to the next few ones, also.

“Kiku, you know I’ve done by absolute best as your brother to make sure you know right from wrong -”

“We’re not going to do anything that constitutes as sex, Yao,” Kiku narrowed his eyes at his brother through the bathroom mirror, hairbrush in hand. “We already discussed ground rules when we first started dating. I’m just going over for a few hours.” 

It had been a month of dating between the two, and Alfred finally mustered up the courage to invite Kiku over to his place. It wasn’t anything fancy, either, which Kiku appreciated - he didn’t think he was ready for an actual meal with his family or formal meeting with his father quite yet. He wasn’t sure what the blonde had in mind for the day, but figured it might consist of gaming and various sugary snacks. It sounded like a perfect way to spend his Saturday, in all honesty. 

He didn’t appreciate his brother’s overprotectiveness, however. 

Yao was leaning against the doorframe of their shared bathroom, lips set in a frown. “It’s not you I don’t trust. How can I know Alfred won’t try to force you into something?” 

Kiku rolled his eyes, focusing his attention on his bed head which currently needed desperate brushing. “Because he isn’t like that, Yao. Even if he did do something like that, I’d have him turned into a frog or something just as bad. I’ve been practicing my curses.” 

He chuckled, “I’ve taught you so well.” He pushed himself off of the doorframe to stand next to his brother, setting a hand on his shoulder.  “Just be careful. I know you must really like this guy, but just be careful with your secrets.” 

The shorter boy felt a pang of guilt, setting the hairbrush down as he turned to face Yao. His family still had no idea that Alfred knew who he really was. “I’m always careful, Yao,” He replied, giving him a reassuring smile before switching to Japanese.  _ “You worry too much.” _

_ “I worry just the right amount.”  _ Yao answered back in Mandarin, tousling the younger’s hair. 

Kiku didn’t dwell too much on his outfit, pulling on a maroon button up shirt to tuck into a pair of jeans, a black sweater going over it. His satchel was draped across his chest, a small vial of sleeping potion tucked away in it to keep his brother from nagging. He grabbed his car keys and bid his brother good bye, as their parents were both out of town that weekend on witch-related business, and promised to keep him updated with what they were doing. Kiku appreciated his older brother worrying, but he really needed to help Yao with his own love life so he would have something else to worry about. 

When Alfred said he lived on the other side of town, he  _ really _ meant the other side of town. Traffic wasn’t too heavy, but it still took a little over forty minutes to arrive at his home - which turned out to be more of a  _ manor _ . It wasn’t gated, thankfully, and Kiku decided to park his car a little ways past the mailbox in front of the manor, thinking it would be a bit rude to take a spot in the driveway. As he stepped out of his car, he couldn’t help but stare at the architecture in awe, completely overwhelmed by the luxuriousness of the building. It was practically the size of one third of the renaissance festival! 

The lawn was perfectly mowed, the hedges lining the edges of the manor in perfect cubes. There were christmas lights lined along the edges of the rooftops, as well, with several wreaths hung on the windows, with a particularly large on hung on the front door. Alfred’s family must have their house professionally decorated for it to look so ornate, Kiku mused as he made his way towards the front door. He tried to calm the butterflies in his stomach as he pressed for the doorbell, taking a few steps back as he waited for an answer. Would there be servants? Would they check his bag before he entered to make sure he wasn’t carrying a weapon? To be fair, he was technically carrying one in his satchel, but he could also easily get away with saying it was a type of perfume - 

“I’ve got it!” His thoughts were cut off by a familiar voice yelling on the other side of the door, followed by several footsteps. Locks were undone and the door was pulled open, Alfred’s grin greeting Kiku. “Keeks, you made it!” 

He dipped down to peck his cheek, causing Kiku’s cheeks to flush. He had gotten better at handling PDA, but was nowhere near ready for anything beyond chaste pecking. “I-I nearly got lost. You didn’t tell me you lived so lavishly.” 

“It’s just a little bigger than most houses. Dad  _ loves  _ to pretend we’re some fancy family, but we’re the total opposite,” He held the door open, inviting Kiku in. He was immediately welcomed by a grand staircase, which divided into two separate sections. The ceiling was high, and had a twinkling, crystal chandelier hanging from it. The floors were made of spotless, shiny marble, and Kiku almost felt bad to step on such a glossy floor with his shoes. “We order take out, like, every other night. We used to have an actual cook when Matt and I were younger, but since we’re older, our dad decided to let all of the servants and stuff go.” 

So they  _ used  _ to have servants. That was still much fancier than Kiku could ever imagine having. “Is your father here?”

He shook his head, gesturing Kiku to follow him. They walked past the staircase and into a hallway, passing by several family portraits that were affixed to the walls. “Nah, he’s out, and Matt’s at hockey practice.”

...Which meant they were completely alone. In a giant house with possibly more rooms than Kiku could count. 

The blonde noticed his lack of response and couldn’t help but laugh. “Keeks, dude, relax. The schedule is to just pig out on junk food and game all day. Nothing else, I swear,” He held up his right hand, keeping three of his fingers extended while his thumb held down his pinky. “Scout’s honor.”

“You aren’t a boy scout.” 

“Am too! You’re looking at a certified Eagle Scout.” 

The witch giggled, covering his mouth as he laughed. “I guess I wasn’t the only one with a secret identity.”

They reached what seemed to be the kitchen, though it was much larger than any kitchen Kiku had seen before. Yao would  _ kill _ to have a kitchen this big - he took his culinary skills almost as seriously as he took his witch practice. He wondered if he would be able to send a picture of the double ovens that sat below the electric stove to Yao as Alfred grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. Kiku took it gratefully when it was offered to him, taking a seat at the island that stood in the middle of the kitchen. 

“I really didn’t think you lived like this.” He said, twisting the cap to this water bottle open. 

“I don’t like to flaunt it around,” The blonde replied, ducking into the pantry. “It isn’t really my money or house, either. Technically, I’m homeless.” He sang the last bit, emerging with a packet of popcorn to pop in the microwave. 

Kiku rested his cheek in his palm, leaning on his elbow. “You and your brother are just so...down to earth. I never would have guessed. But I think you’re better the way you are.”

“Aw, you think so?” Alfred set the timer on the microwave before walking around the island to hug the shorter boy from behind. “You wouldn’t prefer to date some dragon or mermaid?”

He leaned into the touch, “Mm, nope. I heard mermaids are too high maintenance. And a dragon would outlive me by a couple thousand years.” 

“You’d settle for an Eagle Scout?”

“I’d settle for an Eagle Scout.” 

Shoes were kicked off, popcorn was popped and spots were taken on Alfred’s mattress as the two jumped into another heated round of  _ Super Smash Bros.  _ They had gone through two bags of popcorn and were currently sharing a bag of sour gummy worms, with several cans of soda beginning to litter the ground on Alfred’s side. Kiku had lost count of how many rounds Alfred had lost, but the blonde didn’t look to be letting up anytime soon, cerulean eyes focused solely on dodging his opponent’s attacks. 

Kiku grinned when he delivered the final blow, sending Alfred’s character flying off-screen. He groaned, burying his face into his comforter, muffling his voice. “You’re _ cheating!”  _

“How can you cheat in  _ Super Smash?”  _ Kiku rolled his eyes, reaching down towards the ground to grab his soda. They were both on their stomachs, laying next to each other comfortably with remote controllers in hand. 

Alfred looked up, lips forming a frown. “I don’t know, but you just are,” He rolled onto his back, sighing. “I still can’t believe you main Kirby.”

“He has good moves, as you can clearly see. And I’m a fan of cute things.” 

“I know. You’re dating me, aren’t you?” 

“Oh, _ha-ha.”_ He set his drink back down before lightly poking Alfred’s side. “I take back what I said about you being down to earth.” 

Alfred snickered, rubbing the side where he was poked. Kiku had figured out he was ticklish in those areas a few weeks ago and used it to his advantage whenever he could. “I’m  _ super  _ down to earth, babe. Just think: some other snooty guy would have taken you out to some fancy restaurant in a limo or something, but instead you’re here having a way better time,” he gestured towards the snacks on the floor beneath them, “possibly getting type two diabetes with all the sugar we’re eating. I’d say that’s a pretty down to earth way to spend your Saturday.” 

The witch listened with a small smile, setting his controller to the side. In times like this, when they were alone together, Kiku was actually quite affectionate. It was only when they were out - be it at the festival or on a date somewhere in town - that he shied away from physical affection. Not that Alfred minded; it made the moments when Kiku hugged him or held his hand much more special and made his heart race much more. So when the smaller boy rolled over to rest against Alfred’s chest, snuggling closer against the fabric of his hoodie, he wasted no time in wrapping an arm around his waist to pull him closer. It wasn’t anything heated, it wasn’t anything that left him dizzy and breathless, but it was  _ definitely _ enough for him. More than enough. Kiku left him feeling complete. 

“You know what would be pretty down to earth right now?” Kiku’s voice was treading on sleepy territory. 

Alfred could feel his heart practically melting. “Hm...a nap?” 

“Uh-huh.” A yawn. “You get me.” 

He pressed his lips against his ebony hair, giving a fond smile. His tranquility was contagious, and he felt himself slowly slip into sleep alongside Kiku. 

* * *

 

“Al, I’m home.” Matthew called out as he pushed through the front door, shouldering his equipment bag while holding his ice skates by the laces. His hair was tied back into a ponytail and his body ached from practice, but he was still looking forward to seeing Kiku again. Judging by the car parked near the curb, he must have already arrived - but the house was usually quiet. He half expected to hear his brother’s voice floating down from upstairs, excited chatter contrasting with the serene voice that belonged to Kiku. Instead, the manor was silent, his own voice echoing throughout the halls. 

He ascended the staircase, calling his name out again. Could they have gone out? Alfred’s care was still parked in the driveway, so they must still be in the house. Unless they were in the garden; though Matthew doubted that with the chilly weather they were experiencing. He dropped off his bag and skates in his room before heading to Alfred’s room, hesitant to knock. It was just as silent as the rest of the house, with no noise coming from the room. He  _ really _ did not want to walk into something he wasn’t supposed to see, but with the lack of noise coming from his brother’s room, he doubted he would see anything along those lines. He knocked softly before peeking inside, voice just as soft. “Alfred?”

...Oh. 

There were snacks on the ground next to the bed, where the two were currently tangled up on, sleeping soundly. The television screen was turned off, but they must have been gaming since the controllers lay on the bed near the pair. Out of all things, Matthew did not expect to see his brother and his boyfriend  _ napping  _ on a date. 

He couldn’t help the chuckle that left his lips, but he covered his mouth to keep from waking the two. In an instant he had his phone out, careful not to make any noise as he tiptoed towards them. This was too cute of an opportunity  _ not _ to take a commemorative photo.

Two Snapchat filters later (he managed to get the dog filter to work perfectly), he heard the front door being opened, followed by his name being called. He slipped out of Alfred’s room just as quietly as he had entered, shutting the door behind him before heading downstairs to greet his father. 

Arthur was hanging his coat near the entrance of the door, the mail from today in his hand. “Matthew, there you are. How was practice?” 

“Exhausting, but coach decided to let us go early since it was Saturday.” He followed his father into the kitchen, making a bee-line for the fridge. There were a few sodas missing, he duly noted as he grabbed a bottle of water. “I came home to see if Al and Kiku wanted to hang out, but...”

“But..?” The blonde set the small stack of envelopes on the kitchen’s island, raising an eyebrow in his direction. Matthew took a seat at the island, facing him. “Is he not home?”

He shook his head. “No, he is. They’re upstairs. Napping.”

_ “Napping.” _

“Yup.” He pulled his phone out to show him the evidence, to which Arthur scoffed, turning his attention back to the envelopes in his hands with a small smile. Matthew snickered, “What?”

“I haven’t even met the boy and he’s already sleeping with my son.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos to anyone who caught that "technically i'm homeless" parks and rec reference.


	7. Umbrellas and Tippy-Toed Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> currently suffering from writer's block, but I just had to get something done for ameripan week.

Kiku’s eyes fluttered open, nose brushing against soft fabric. 

The sun had left the sky, disappearing behind several dark, heavy clouds that hung in the sky - which meant it was about time for him to start heading home before the downpour began. Though, with the weather as dreary as it was, he’d rather stay with Alfred for a few more hours. What was originally supposed to be a power nap grew into a two hour nap, but Kiku didn’t feel the grogginess that usually came with a longer nap. When he opened his eyes and felt the steady rise and fall of Alfred’s chest, a fuzzy warmth spread throughout his chest down to his belly as he buried his face in his hoodie. 

The blonde began to stir when he felt this, sleepily blinking his eyes open. He had taken his glasses off somewhere during the nap, setting them onto the floor so he wouldn’t break them. Kiku pulled away from his grasp slightly to look up towards him. It was rare to see him sans his glasses, and Kiku took this moment to map out the blue of his eyes, albeit half asleep while doing so. 

Alfred gave a heavy-eyed smile. “Some nap.” 

The witch chuckled, slow and laced with sleep. He shifted to lie on his stomach, his elbows keeping him up. “I didn’t think you’d actually fall asleep.”

“You were very convincing.” He rolled over onto his back, but kept close. His freckles were much more noticeable up close, dusting his cheeks and the bridge of his nose like stardust. Kiku lightly traced the top of his cheek almost cautiously, afraid that he was crossing some sort of boundary. Alfred didn’t mind it in the least, leaning into the touch. “Matt has more freckles than I do.”

“I like yours.” 

His eyes slipped shut as Kiku instead cupped one of his cheeks, thumb running over his freckles. “We got ‘em from our mom. Hers were way more noticeable, too. She used to say they were like decorations on our skin.” 

“Your mom sounds positive, like you,” He said, leaning down to peck his cheek. “Now I know where you get it from.” He sat up, running a hand through his hair to make it seem as if he didn’t just wake up from a two hour nap. “What time is it? I should be getting back soon.”

The blonde sat up as well, reaching for his phone. “It’s four. Do you  _ have _ to go back already?” 

Kiku rolled his eyes as Alfred puckered his bottom lip in a pout, phone in hand. “My brother will be worried.” He unlocked the device, wincing at the amount of text messages Yao had sent in the past few hours. “He probably thinks you’ve killed me. Or that you’ve extracted my family’s secrets and are now torturing me to death.” 

“There’s no way your brother is that paranoid.” 

“This isn’t even the worst of it. He’s worse than my actual parents. At least  _ they _ trust and like  you.” 

Alfred grinned. “Your parents like me?” 

There was a faint flush to Kiku’s cheeks as he reached for his satchel, which had fallen off of the bed and onto the floor. “From what I’ve told them of you, yes. Though, they  _ are  _ surprised I would date someone as outgoing as you.” 

“My dad said the same thing,” He rolled his eyes, scoffing. “He was expecting some cheerleader.”

“Sorry to disappoint.” Kiku gave a wry smile. 

“Dude, no way. I’d rather date a witch who could probably kill me.” 

“Well, I won’t kill you, but if you’re looking to get turned into a lizard or frog, I’ve got you covered.” 

“Hot.”

* * *

 

Arthur had sensed something was off the minute he stepped into the manor.

Not only was it unusually quiet, despite his sons having a guest over, but there was also a familiar uneasiness that settled in the pit of his stomach. He tried to brush it off as a side effect to his exhaustion when Matthew came down the stairwell; he really had been working so much over the past few months that it had begun to affect his well-being. 

However, when Alfred entered the kitchen alongside his guest, the uneasiness came back tenfold. 

He came in hand-in-hand with Kiku, giggling about something before he realized they weren’t the only ones in the house. He stopped laughing, but kept his grin when he saw his father, gesturing to the shorter boy next to him. “Dad! I didn’t know you were home. This is Kiku, the boy I met at the renaissance festival.” 

The shorter boy bowed his head respectfully, pulling his hand away from Alfred to extend to Arthur. “It’s nice to meet you. I hope I’m not intruding.”

Despite the apprehensive air he felt about the boy, Arthur appreciated the manners. “Far from it. It’s a pleasure to finally meet face-to-face, Alfred’s told me much about you.” 

Kiku’s cheeks were dusted pink. “Good things, I hope.” 

Arthur knew it was ridiculous to assume the worst,  _ especially  _ when his son seemed so serious about this boy, but the first thing that popped into his mind was “dangerous”. Kiku did not  _ look  _ particularly dangerous - in fact, quite the opposite - but the man could tell there was something unusual about him. It made his shoulders tense and his stomach flip flop uncomfortably; but it was not unfamiliar, as he had realized as he stepped through the front door. He pushed the anxiety and painful memories to the side, choosing to write it off as nerves over Alfred’s first serious relationship. Which, for the record, he didn’t think he’d ever need to prepare himself for so soon. 

Kiku was relatively easy to chat with. He was polite, had near perfect manners, and enjoyed the same tea as Arthur did. Their conversation was brief but quite pleasant. He wondered how Kiku could put up with let alone date someone as “outgoing” as Alfred.

(Arthur uses the term “outgoing” very delicately.)

Being the classic gentleman that he so often claims to be, Arthur felt the need to offer that Kiku stay for dinner.

“I would love to, but my brother will be worrying more than what he has,” the younger boy laughed, shaking his head. “I should get going.”

“Be careful getting home in the rain. Do you have an umbrella?” Matthew asked, glancing towards the window. The wind had begun to pick up and the sky was a darker shade of gray. 

“Ah, no, but that’s alright —”

“Nonsense, take one of ours.” Arthur said. “There should be a few by the front door.”

Kiku gave a warm smile. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to return it.”

Alfred offered to walk him to his car, making sure not to forget the umbrella, and after another polite good-bye, they were out of the house and into the now pouring rain. Thankfully, the umbrella was large enough to cover both of them. 

“Your father seems nice. I’m surprised you didn’t develop his accent.” Kiku looked up towards the blonde, a teasing tone in his voice. “That would have made you more attractive.”

The blonde rolled his eyes, bumping shoulders with Kiku. “I consider myself lucky that I  _ don’t _ have his accent. Are you sure you’ll be fine driving home?”

They reached his car after walking through a particularly large puddle that had already formed in the driveway. “I’m sure. I really would like to stay, but Yao will have me crucified if I stay the night.” 

Alfred laughed, holding the umbrella over Kiku as he slid into the driver’s seat, allowing himself to get soaked. “I need to meet your brother. Convince him I’m perfect boyfriend material.”

“Of course. Video games and naps? I’m swooning.” 

Alfred smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Kiku noted this. “What’s wrong?”

He bit his lip. “I’m gonna do something, and you have full permission to punch me in the throat if it bothers you.”

Kiku cocked an eyebrow, but didn’t object. He tightened his hand into a fist but soon realized there was no need. A pair of lips - chapped, but he wasn’t complaining in the slightest - met his hesitantly and for a brief moment, the witch was sure his heart would break through his ribcage.

Neither of them moved for a moment before Alfred pulled away. Neither of them said anything right away, the only sounds around them being the heavy fall of rain. 

“I’m guessing,” Alfred’s grip on the umbrella was tight, “it didn’t bother you.”

Kiku shook his head, keeping his eyes downcast. Both of them were sporting bright red blushes. “I... appreciated the warning beforehand.” 

He cleared his throat, glancing up towards Alfred. With trembling legs, he pushed himself out of the driver’s seat of his car, standing directly in front of the blonde. “I’m going to do something, a-and you have full permission to punch  _ me _ in the throat.” 

He had to get onto his tippy-toes just to reach his lips. Alfred dropped the umbrella just to pull him closer, but neither of them minded the rain. 


	8. Familiars and Missing Books

The paper was thin between his fingers, smooth against the skin. It was Kiku’s final paycheck from the renaissance festival. He almost had to wipe away a tear.

It felt absolutely marvelous.

“How’s it feel?” Alfred asked over the phone the same afternoon Kiku had received his check.

“Wonderful,” Kiku answered, reading over the numbers once more. “Actually, that isn’t right. It’s more bittersweet than anything. It wasn’t a _terrible_ job.”

“It’s probably the coolest job for a teenager. Plus, it’s where we met.”

He could hear the smile in Alfred’s voice and couldn't help but smile himself. “Hopefully I can return next year. I'm going to miss the few friends I've made.”

After spending a majority of the fall and winter seasons at the festival, he can proudly say that he had grown a few inches out of his shell. Francis had been a frequent visitor of the potions tent when neither of them happened to be busy, so much conversation was made between the two about magic and palm readings. Ivan and Toris performed near the tent every weekend, which meant Kiku and Alfred were able to witness the dazzling spectacles that were dragonfire and expert bowmanship.

“It would be so cool if you did it every year. Maybe next year you could meet a mermaid or something. Those are a thing, right? Do they sing and stuff?”

Kiku set the paycheck onto his desk before switching his bedside lamp on. “They exist, but I've never met one. I assume they sing— but they're different from sirens. Sirens sing to kill. Mermaids are just... carefree. They liked humans, before they started hunting them.”

Alfred’s enthusiasm when they talked about creatures from the magic world never ceased to amuse Kiku. “Humans hunted _mermaids_ , too? What the hell did they ever do to us?”

“They were hunted for their tails. Apparently their scales are shinier than jewels and heavier than diamonds. Their hair is also silkier and softer than other creatures.”

“Well. Aren’t humans just greedy little bastards.”

“You're a human, you know.” The witch chuckled, settling himself at his desk. He opened up  his laptop; his parents mentioned needing a few ingredients that were usually only available from online sorcery shops.

The blonde scoffed. “I've been thinking about that. How can we be _really_ sure I'm _just_ a human? Like, for one, I'm more attractive than the average person,” Kiku nearly laughed out loud, but listened on, “I'm also the fastest kid on the track team. Plus, I'm dating a witch. Witches don't just go for average humans. Which means I _have_ to be some demi-god or something.”

“You're right, witches _don’t_ usually get involved with humans. I'm surprised my parents even let me go out with you. And are you really the fastest on your track team?”

“I’d like to think so. Haven’t witches and humans gotten together before?”

Kiku paused, pondering over the question before answering carefully. “It _has_ happened before, but it's never... ended well. At least from the stories I've been told.” Alfred’s silence on the other end meant he wanted to hear more, to which Kiku complied with a sigh. “The human almost always betrays the witch in some way. Usually, they end up being witch hunters in disguise. We have no choice but to wipe their memories before they get the chance to do anything dangerous.”  

“Keeks, I want to tell you one more time that I'm not a witch hunter.” His tone was serious, which Kiku appreciated. “I’d never hurt you.”

He smiled to himself. “I know. I'm not worried about you, Alfred. I wouldn't be talking to you, let alone _dating_ you, if I didn't trust you.”

“I just— and I'm gonna sound really cheesy for saying this— I'm so lucky, you know? A witch actually hangs out with me. Like, even if you weren’t a witch, I’m pretty sure I’d still have a stupid big crush on you.”

“Aw. You had a crush on me.”

“Still do, honestly.”

Kiku giggled, clicking through pages of foreign ingredients. “You’re such a sap, Jones.”

A series of loud cawing and muffled chinese swears could be heard from the first floor, startling Kiku out of his conversation. He shut his laptop, moving from his desk in a heartbeat. “I’m gonna call you back, something’s going on with Yao and his familiar.”

“Woah, is it a witch fight? Be careful, babe!” Kiku rolled his eyes yet kept that same smile on his face, tossing his phone onto his bed before cautiously heading downstairs.

Yao’s familiar, who happened to be a particularly grumpy crow, hardly ever made noise unless bothered by something - or someone. For it to be making such a fuss meant something was wrong. Yet when he searched the first floor’s conjuring room and ingredient room, Kiku found nothing out of the ordinary (thankfully). However, the side door in the kitchen was left wide open. It led into the backyard, where their greenhouse sat, practically overflowing with various plants and flowers used in potions and curses. Behind that lay their garden. That was the safest bet as to where Yao and his familiar were.

He could still hear the crow’s cawing loud and clear as he made his way towards the greenhouse after pulling on a pair of sneakers. The small building itself was empty, save for the plants. Kiku rounded the corner towards the back of the greenhouse, nearly breathing a sigh of relief when he found his brother sans injuries or blood. His crow stopped cawing and instead clicked its beak as it sat on Yao’s shoulder, who was squatted down in front of something that Kiku couldn’t see from where he stood.

“Yao?” His brother jumped in surprise, whipping around to face him. From over his shoulder, Kiku could make out a small, golden ball of fur. “Is that - a rabbit?”

Yao quickly turned around, standing up to his full height. Kiku saw that he was wrong - the animal’s ears were too short to be a rabbit’s and its tail was curved into itself. It’s snout was longer than a normal rabbit’s, and bled into a darker color near its small, black nose. He couldn’t help the near inhuman noise that left his mouth. “Oh my _god.”_

His brother laughed, taking a step away from the dog. “He’s tiny, right? We found him a few minutes ago trying to dig up the garden. Puyi really didn’t like him, for some reason.” The crow on his shoulder clicked his beak, and Yao rubbed his head, smoothing the feathers there. “Probably thought he was a snack.”

“Is he a stray?”

“Has to be. He might be the runt of his litter. I haven’t seen any other dogs that look like him. His mother probably abandoned him.”

Kiku could feel his heart shattering at the thought of the dog’s mother leaving him. How anyone could abandon this small, pure ball of fluff was beyond him.

The puppy looked up at Kiku with shiny black eyes, and in that moment, it was as if there was nothing else in the entire world that mattered more than that dog. Kiku walked towards him, kneeling down in front of it to hold his hand out for it to sniff. The fuzzball took small steps, sniffing hesitantly before licking his pointer finger. Kiku stifled another gasp, covering his mouth to keep from outright squealing.

Yao quirked an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you want to keep it. Mom and dad would never let us keep a dog.”

“We can’t just leave it out here, it’s too small to survive on its own.” Kiku reached out gently, picking it up to hold to his chest. It’s fur was unbelievably _fluffy_ despite how badly it needed a bath.

His brother had a point, though. His family wasn’t one for pets. The various times he’s tried to convince his parents to let him have a hamster or guinea pig proved fruitless each time. The only exception to pets would be familiars, hence Yao’s crow.

“They’ll let me keep him if I make him my familiar.” Kiku said.

Yao blinked in surprise. That was a big step to take as a witch, next to choosing which element to focus one’s work on. “A dog as a familiar? And a runt, no less? He didn’t even choose you.”

Kiku shot him a pointed look. “He’ll grow. He licked my finger.”

“You just ate. You probably had cheeto dust on your fingers.”

“I love him, Yao.”

“You just _met_ him. This is why mom and dad don’t let us get pets, you want every small, fluffy animal you see.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You liked Puyi until he grew up.”

“Puyi was cute until he turned into a grumpy old bird,” The younger witch scratched behind one of the dog’s ears, practically melting when it yawned. “Pochi will grow up, stay cute, _and_ be a good familiar.”

Yao sighed, shaking his head. His brother couldn’t be swayed when he wanted something. Especially when that something was small and fluffy. Or a ditzy, blonde american. “You’ve already named it? And such a typical name?”

The house was quiet when they stepped back inside, their parents having gone out earlier for a meeting with other witches. It gave Kiku enough time to think of a good enough excuse to keep Pochi as a familiar and bathe him. “I could say the same for Puyi. Are you going to help me wash him up?”

His brother grinned, clapping him on the back. “Your familiar, your responsibility.”

Kiku figured as much.

Yao disappeared into the conjuring room to practice his spells, and Kiku took Pochi upstairs to get him cleaned up. He wouldn’t have to use the bathtub, thankfully, as Pochi was small enough to fit into the sink.

He set Pochi onto his bed, grabbing his phone to send Alfred a very important snapchat.

* * *

 

Arthur was searching his study for a specific book when he heard heavy steps bounding down the stairs. He didn’t look up from the novel in his hand when Alfred appeared in the doorway, phone in hand and sunny grin on his face. “Dad! Kiku got a new dog!”

That grabbed his attention. “What kind?”

“He doesn’t really know, he and his brother found him in their backyard,” He showed the screen to Arthur: a fuzzy, golden brown furball with the biggest eyes looked up towards the camera. “I haven’t even met him yet and I love him.”

Even he wasn’t immune to puppies. “Dear God, he’s tiny.”

“I _know!_ Can’t we get a dog, too? Or a cat? Cats are more boring, but maybe if we train it -”

 _“No_ pets. We won’t have time for them. Remember the last time I let you and Matthew keep a hamster?”

Alfred’s smile melted into a grimace. He rubbed the back of his neck, “We gave Hamtaro a nice funeral. He had a good life.”

“Could have been a longer life if you hadn’t overfed him.” Arthur gave him a pointed look before shelving the book in his hand to look for another.

The blonde frowned. “How were we supposed to know you could overfeed a hamster?” His father gave him another side glance, to which he promptly changed the subject. “Anyways, since I have nothing to do for the rest of the day, and Matt is at hockey practice, I was _thinking_ I could _maybe_ drive over and meet Pochi myself.”

Arthur scanned the rows of books in front of him, tapping his chin in thought. “Alright, but take pictures of the pup. And tell Kiku I said hello.”

Alfred grinned, leaving the studyroom to fetch his car keys and sneakers. He yelled a quick goodbye before slamming the front door shut, leaving the manor near silent. Arthur was beginning to become accustomed to the house being so quiet; now that Matthew and Alfred had gotten older, they spent less and less time at home. Not that he minded, of course, it was natural for them to grow up and leave -

He stopped himself. He was not going to become the sentimental father at such a young age.

(Arthur liked to think it was a young age.)

 _The book isn’t here,_ the blonde sighed, turning away from the shelves. _Could it be upstairs?_

The study on the second floor yielded no results as well. He doubted Matthew or Alfred could have gotten their hands on the book he was searching for, but it couldn’t hurt to take a quick peek. Alfred’s room would be a mess, no doubt. Matthew’s would possibly be in a similar condition due to hockey season.

Surprisingly, his youngest son’s room was nearly spotless. Though his several superhero posters still hung on his walls, the room was cleared up and organized fairly nicely. The floor was clear of any clothing, his desk and side table were free of leftover soda cans or food wrappers, and it smelled faintly of - lavender? When did Alfred get a lavender candle in his room?

 _He’s trying hard to impress Kiku._ _I’ve never seen him like this before._

It was sweet, honestly. It almost reminded Arthur of himself when he was younger.

While the bookshelf in his son’s room was much more organized than when he last saw it, it didn’t have the book he was looking for. Perhaps Arthur had sold it a few years ago...

Something under the boy’s bed twinkled against the sunlight flooding in from the window.

It was a small, glass vial of violet liquid. It could have been a juice, but after uncapping it and taking a hesitant whiff, it was devoid of any fruity smell. The amount held in the vial was too small to _actually_ quench a thirst, as well.

Unless it _wasn’t_ a drink?

Arthur felt his stomach shift uneasily. This vial wasn’t here before a few days ago, when Kiku was over. He obviously spent the day in Alfred’s bedroom, which must mean it came from him and not his son. Alfred would have never been able to dabble with _that,_ either, he made sure to keep a close eye on what his sons did and who they spent time with since they were born. Though, Arthur hadn’t met Kiku right away— and Arthur knew there was something off about him that day they met, too—

It was a longshot. A rash and ludicrous accusation, especially when Alfred clearly cared about this boy more than others.

The blonde gripped the vial in his hand, turning on his heel to leave the room. He needed to find that book before he did something he regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will pochi ever be the perfect familair? will arthur stop being an overprotective jackass dad? will i have the next chapter out or die first? tune in next time to find out,


	9. Pet supplies and Fieldtrips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's been a while! i'm not abandoning this story, though (ง •̀_•́)ง

After much research, Kiku and Alfred figured out that Pochi was a mixed breed of pomeranian (which explains the fluff) and shiba inu (which explains the tail and long snout). 

Kiku’s parents were wary about keeping a dog at first, but after much -  _ much -  _ persuasion from both him and his brother, Pochi was welcomed into the witch’s family as a familiar. Which, in turn, called for a trip to the pet store to pick up the essentials for a puppy. 

“He’s so small, you can practically take him to school with you,” The blonde was examining the row of leashes with interest. Kiku stood next to him but faced the opposite direction, looking at the arranged collars. Pochi was falling asleep in his arms. “You should, actually.”

“As much as I would like to take him everywhere with me, I don’t think I could get away with bringing him to class. And people would make fun of me.”

Alfred pursed his lips. “You haven’t told everyone that you’ve got a buff boyfriend?” 

“No, because I don’t  _ have  _ a buff boyfriend.” He laughed at Alfred’s insulted expression. “Not that I want one, anyway.” 

He reached out to pluck a soft green collar from one of the rows. The material was thick enough, and was adjustable in size (though, with how small Pochi was, Kiku doubted he would grow very big). 

Alfred looked over his shoulder towards the collar in Kiku’s hand. “I like it.”

Kiku handed him the collar in order to adjust Pochi in his arms more comfortably. “Now we need a matching leash.”

After finding the correct soft food, a brush for his fur, and several toys - picked out by Alfred, mainly - Kiku was more than finished spending money for the day. Though, since he was spending money on his dog, it was more than worth it. He would spend all of his paychecks on Pochi if someone wasn’t there to stop him. 

Alfred carried the bags, as Kiku’s arms were occupied with a  _ very _ sleepy pup. After climbing into the blonde’s car, the shorter of the two leaned over and pecked his cheek. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“How could I  _ not  _ come with you? Pochi’s my kid, too, ya know.”

“I wasn’t aware this was a joint custody.”

“Joint custody - we aren’t divorced! This is a normal custody!” He ruffled Kiku’s hair before pulling out of the parking lot of the pet store near the witch’s home. “We’ll raise him together. He needs two parents.”

He was certain his cheeks were flushed rose, so Kiku ducked his head to avoid Alfred’s eyes. Despite his embarrassment, however, he was smiling. “I guess you’re right.”

Alfred glanced towards the passenger seat, grinning at the redness of Kiku’s cheeks. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he lightly pinched the boy’s cheek. “Hey, you’re blushing! Lemme see, lift your head!”

“No! Focus on driving!” He swatted Alfred’s hand away, a laugh bubbling out of his lips. “If we get into an accident, I’m breaking up with you!”

Pochi, miraculously, stayed still with sleep through their loud conversation.

* * *

 

Kiku’s last weekend at the festival had caught up to him faster than he anticipated. Despite it being the last weekend, they remained busy as ever - though, if anything, they found themselves  _ busier  _ as everyone was scrambling to see the jousting competition one last time or but their own dragon egg. The fire and wind show were seeing their biggest crowds, fortune tellers were reading palms and giving card spreads left and right, and the smell of food was beyond tempting from the small potions tent. It reminded Kiku of a star’s expansion before it’s death. 

Customers were sporadic throughout the day. There was a big wave in the morning that left Kiku overwhelmed and exhausted by lunchtime, which is when Alfred dropped by for the rest of the day.  

Kiku absentmindedly fiddled with the amethyst tied around his neck, idly wondering if Alfred wore his as often as he wore his own. “With how busy it is this weekend, it almost reminds me of how busy an  _ actual  _ magicians’ market is.” 

Alfred set the cologne down and moved to sit across from Kiku at the register. “There are  _ magicians’ markets?  _ Like, with  _ actual  _ magic?”

The witch nodded. “That’s where we get most of our ingredients for our potions and spells. My parents also used to have a store of their own.” 

“Used to?”

“They closed it down once I was born.” Kiku could see the matching stone tied around Alfred’s neck, and found himself smiling. “It was named after me, too.”

“‘Kiku’s Witchery’? Oh, maybe ‘Kiku’s Cauldron’?” 

“Neither. They wouldn’t get any customers with names like that. This isn’t Diagon Alley.”

The blonde rolled his eyes, leaning his cheek on his palm.  _ “Fine.  _ Enlighten me, then, what’s a  _ real  _ magician’s market like?”

The asian paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts in way to explain them clearly. Now that he thought about it, the market he had grown so accustomed to wasn’t  _ anything _ like the stores that Alfred was probably used to. During the day, it was extremely busy with people from quite literally everywhere in the world, including different species of people, as well. Alongside witches, he had seen elves, fairies, pixies, centaurs - the list goes on and on. It was common for magic-users to convene in magician’s markets, and during the evening (which is when Kiku preferred to visit), it became much more alive with street performances, food, and special wares available only during the later hours of the day. It was fast-paced and a change of scene from his ordinary mundane lifestyle as a high school student. 

“Well,” Kiku began, unsure of where to start, “It’s very busy during the day, and gets a bit calmer at night in terms of crowds. It’s a place where everyone can go to get supplies or ingredients for magic and spells, along with weapons. So, I guess you could say it’s similar to this festival, but the roads are much more smaller and there isn’t as much room to breathe...but the food is quite good.”

“Is it  _ just  _ for witches, though?”

Kiku shook his head, “No, no, it’s for any magical being. Any species.”

The blonde’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Are there any weird, cool monsters and stuff? Are dragons in full-on dragon mode? I know you said mermaids aren’t too common anymore, but have you seen one at the market? Can they walk? Oh, oh, what about fairies? Are they small, like Tinkerbell small? What about -”

_ “Alfred.” _ His questions were cut off when the smaller boy reached a hand out to cover his mouth, remembering how he had to do the same thing when they first met. That felt like an eternity ago. 

There was a muffled “sorry”, and Kiku drew his hand back. Alfred rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. “I know I’m way too excited about this, but it’s just so cool, you know? How do you even  _ get _ there?”

“It’s...um, it’s a little hard to explain. It would be easier to -”  _ Show you, _ he wanted to say, but he knew better than to bring a human into a magician’s market, even  _ if  _ he was sworn to secrecy. Their promise would be nothing against the officials. Humans weren’t hated, but due to the things that humans have done to magical beings in the past, there was still a bit of dislike for the species. Kiku couldn’t blame them. “- nevermind.”

Alfred’s face fell a little, and Kiku immediately felt guilty. “Oh. I get it, there’s probably a rule against humans, huh?” 

The witch nodded, fidgeting with the lilac stone around his neck. “You’re different, but...our word against the other witches and magic users isn’t very much. I  _ do  _ want to take you. You would love it.”

The other hummed in agreement, tapping his fingers against the countertop. Judging from his lack of a proper response, he was thinking of something. Whether that something was good or bad was always a mystery to Kiku, but this time, it was quite obvious it was on the bad side. Alfred looked up from the countertop to the boy’s eyes, mischief evident in the two pools of blue. “How will they know I’m not a magic-user, or a witch? I mean, you look human. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were the most mundane person in the world!” 

“Gee, thanks.” Kiku scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “And Ivan said we each had a specific smell. There usually aren’t dragons at the market, but there are probably other species that can smell just as strong. You’d be caught before you even stepped foot through the front gates.”

“Ivan  _ also _ said that witches specifically smelled like broomsticks and cauldron fire. Or some other element.”

_ Oh. He’s right,  _ Kiku realized. “But even then, I’m not sure I could make a perfume strong enough to throw off your scent. We would need to test it out, also. I won’t risk bringing you to the market and having you executed.”

Alfred grinned, suddenly bashful. “Aw, babe, you don’t have to worry about me.”

“I  _ do _ worry. I can’t let my boyfriend get killed. Your father would be very upset with me.”

“You’re scared of my  _ dad?  _ He’d be happy to get rid of me!” He tried to sound sincere, but Kiku’s laughter distracted him. “Besides, he doesn’t believe in all that magic stuff, anyways. Even when Matt and I were kids, he never really read us fairy tales about witches or magic. So I’ll be  _ fine,  _ let’s try it out! I wanna go to the magician’s market!”

When Alfred was as excitable as a puppy, Kiku could not resist giving in to whatever he demanded, be it food or attention. It would seem that this request was no different, despite how incredibly dangerous it was. He was certain there was at least a ninety percent chance of their scent plan failing, and while the (possibly deadly) consequences did indeed frighten him, Kiku also wanted nothing more than to share his world with Alfred even more. 

Kiku Honda  _ really  _ liked this human. He hadn’t thought about it before, but if he was considering risking his family name to show Alfred the magic world, he must have truly grown attached to the boy. 

“Okay...” The witch finally muttered, quickly adding, “But if things go wrong, we leave the market as  _ soon _ as possible.” 

Alfred nearly leapt out of his seat, letting out a victory cry. “Oh, hell yeah! I’ll be super careful, Keeks, I swear! Oh, my god, this is gonna be the  _ coolest  _ thing - can I take pictures? Do magic users have phones and stuff?” 

It was exciting, but Kiku couldn’t help but pray to whatever god that would listen for Alfred to be safe. 

 


	10. magician's markets and two left feet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know it's been a literal year since i've updated but i was hit with inspiration for this fic h a r d recently  
> so here we are!!!! a slightly longer chapter with NEW characters!!!!!!!! yeehaw!!!!!!

Exactly a week later, just a few days shy of Christmas, Kiku and Alfred met at a coffee shop halfway between both of their homes.

Alfred held the small jar of liquid up to his nose after the witch handed it to him, sniffing after spraying a bit onto his wrist. “Woah, this smells like that candle I got from you. Smoky.”

“Please be careful. I had to make up an explanation for Yao when he caught me leaving the potions room with it...” Kiku sighed, thinking back to the lie he fed his brother the evening before after he had been asked what was in his hands. Quick thinking was not one of his fortes, and thus, he had simply said it was a cologne for himself. He got an odd look in response, but wasn’t questioned further. “I was actually able to find a section on cloaking perfumes. There weren’t any perfume recipes for witches, but there _was_ one for elves. And since you’re tall, no one will think twice about you.”

The blonde reached up to touch his ear. “But what about my ears? Aren’t they supposed to be pointy?”

“I have just the thing for that.” He reached into a pocket sewn on the inside of his satchel, pulling out two identical ear cuffs. They were both curved at the very tips, and held a small jewel in the space where the silver tip extended from the actual tip of one’s ear, so as to conceal the lack of skin. He set them on the table in between them.

Alfred put the jar down to instead study the ear cuffs with interest. “Where’d you even get these?”

“I - um...I used to have a thing for elves when I was younger, but that isn’t important.” Kiku said the end of his sentence quickly so as to avoid an embarrassing conversation, turning the focus back on the jar of cologne. “With those, you should look and smell the part of an elf now. Hopefully.”

“Relax, dude, I’m sure this’ll work. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“You could be found out, and put on trial, or worse, just killed on the spot. But that’s just the worst that could happen. There are lots of other things they’ve done to humans -”

“Yikes, okay, okay, got it, don’t get found out. No problem.” Alfred said, waving Kiku’s warnings away. He took one last gulp of his hot chocolate before standing, offering his hand to Kiku. “So, are we ready?”

The boy glanced from Alfred’s hand to his own cup of hot chocolate, choosing to take a long drink before finally taking the blonde’s hand. “Alright. Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

Whatever Alfred was expecting in terms of getting to the magician’s market, it certainly did not involve Kiku leading him to the alleyway behind the coffee shop. It involved at least one mountain and two dragons; not just a grimy old alleyway that smelled like coffee beans and too-sweet caramel syrup.

He was even more perplexed when Kiku pulled his phone out from his back pocket and fiddled around with it, tapping several different things before typing something. Then, he just slipped it back into his pocket.

Alfred looked around. “Uh, Keeks?”

“Yes?”

“Is there supposed to be, like, a portal somewhere? Do you have to say some spell or some magic words for it to appear?”

Kiku raised an eyebrow. “Like...in _Harry Potter?”_

“I mean, yeah? Or -”

“Alfred, your perception of magic and witches is very...outdated.” The witch almost laughed, but didn’t for fear of hurting Alfred’s feelings. “I got us a ride to the market. It’s a little like Uber.”

Alfred’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “There’s an app for that?”

“It’s 2017. There’s an app for everything.” He walked to the edge of the alley, peering out onto the street. “Even for witches.”

 _Huh._ Maybe witches weren’t as old-fashioned as Alfred thought. Shrugging his earlier perception of Kiku and the magic world off, he pulled the masking cologne from his jacket pocket to thoroughly spray over himself, making sure to spray exactly from head to toe. Once he was sure he smelled of freshly cut grass and tree bark enough, he placed the earcuffs over the shells of his ears. By the time he joined Kiku, a shiny black Toyota had pulled up near the alleyway.

The driver rolled the window down and ducked down to yell towards the pair, “Kiku! You called for a ride?”

The man was grinning, but Kiku certainly wasn’t. “Yong-Soo? What are you doing here?”

“Well, aren’t you excited to see family,” The man, Yong-Soo, replied. “Got a job as a driver for the summer before I head back to Elemental training. Now, are you gonna get in? I got other rides waiting.”

Kiku glanced up towards Alfred before settling into the backseat, albeit hesitantly. He hadn’t counted on his cousin being their driver to the market. Especially his loud-mouthed, can’t-keep-a-secret-for-shit cousin. Nevertheless, Yong Soo would just be their driver, and would probably forget about this by the end of the day. Hopefully. If Kiku wished and prayed enough.

Alfred couldn’t see his face very well from his spot in the backseat, but he could tell Yong-Soo was young, but not as young as they were. His hair was slicked back and out of his eyes, and there was a flyaway curl that refused to stay down. His clothes weren’t anything extraordinary, either; at least, they weren’t what Alfred expected of a - witch? Wizard? - magic user. He was just...ordinary.

“So,” Yong-Soo adjusted the rearview mirror so that his amber eyes met Alfred’s, “who’s this?”

Kiku answered before Alfred could open his mouth. “Alfred. He’s part elf, and just a -”

“Friend? He’s too good-looking to be ‘just a friend’, if you ask me,” The man said, but Alfred couldn’t find any trace of sarcasm in his voice. Alfred settled on smiling, nearly laughing at Kiku’s annoyed expression. “But if you say so. Alright, make sure to buckle up, you know how this ride goes.”

The blonde gave a questioning look towards Kiku, who only shook his head and mouthed “don’t worry” in return.

As they pulled back into the busy street, Yong-Soo struck up conversation. “When do you two graduate - uh, high school, right?”

“Year and a half,” Alfred answered.

“And you go to a regular high school, too, huh?”

“Um... yup. I blend in pretty easy.”

“Yeah, if I didn’t know better, I woulda thought you were all human.” Yong-Soo laughed, the pair sharing an uneasy chuckle. “Where’s your elven family from, Al?”

Kiku hadn’t thought that far. Alfred looked to him for an answer and found nothing but a poker face, so he said the first thing that came to mind, “Uh - Rivendell.”

“Like... from _Lord of The Rings?”_

“Well, I mean, that’s what we call it, you know, as sort of an inside joke.” Alfred laughed a bit too loudly. “You know, the other...elves and I. The guys. And girls. And everyone else.”

“Huh...sounds cool, I guess,” Yong-Soo’s sentence sounded more like a question, but didn’t question any further. “Anyways, how’d you meet?”

“The renaissance fair. I was working the perfume tent, and he...saw me enchant a broomstick my accident.” The end of Kiku’s sentence was cut off by Yong-Soo’s barking laughter, and the young witch narrowed his eyes. “Cut it out, Yong, it isn’t that funny.”

“Kiku Stick-Up-His-Ass Honda got caught using magic, I think I can laugh a little. You used to get on my case about magic as if _you_ were older than me!”

Alfred couldn’t resist chuckling, to which he immediately disguised as a cough. Kiku felt his cheeks burn, but held his tongue to avoid embarrassing himself any further. Yong-Soo filled the rest of the car ride with stories of when he and the rest of Kiku’s cousins were younger, much to the witch’s irritation and Alfred’s delight.

Finally, after what seemed like years of being held hostage by childhood memories, they arrived at the pier near the edge of town. The boardwalk shops had been closed due to the cold weather, so there was seemingly no one nearby as they slowed to a stop just where the boardwalk began.

Alfred reached for his seat belt, under the impression that this was their destination, but Kiku stopped him. _“This_ is the part where you’ll need your seatbelt.”

Kiku then turned to ask Yong-Soo, “Are you sure you’ve done this before?”

“You underestimate me, cuz.” The brunet tapped a button on his phone, “Besides, I’ve got the navigation on.”

Yong-Soo revved up the engine, and Kiku leaned back into his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. Alfred only glanced from the cousins to the pier, and, putting two and two together, felt his stomach drop.

“Wait, so, hang on, what are we -” His question was drowned by the roaring engine of the car, and he was immediately pushed back into his seat by their speed. Yong Soo kept straight, driving onto the wooden pier - where a car _really_ shouldn’t be driving on - and never letting off of the accelerator as they neared the edge of the boardwalk.

Kiku only stayed perfectly still, arms crossed and almost appearing bored as Yong-Soo drove faster and faster, while Alfred’s knuckles were near white from clutching the ceiling handle. The fact that neither of them seemed particularly concerned as they were driving towards the ocean at nearly seventy miles per hour only made Alfred panic even more.

Before he could even scream for Yong-Soo to stop, they were off the pier -

\- and back on the same wooden boardwalk. Except, it wasn’t their town’s empty boardwalk.

This one was bustling with life, shops and stalls almost stacked on top of each other and brimming with vendors and their wares. Where the original boardwalk ended, this one continued and extended towards the rest of the town, stopping just at the edge.

“Aaaand here you are, the magician’s market,” Yong-Soo said, turning around to face the pair. He held his hand out towards Kiku, “That’ll be twenty bucks.”

“I’m giving you what I gave the last driver, which is thirteen.” The boy said, handing over the cash before undoing his seatbelt. “I’m also telling auntie that you’re overcharging your customers.”

Alfred was still recovering from literally _warping to a different dimension_ that he didn’t notice Kiku had already stepped out of the car. Quickly pulling a five dollar bill out of his wallet, he handed it to Yong-Soo and thanked him for the drive.

“At least your boyfriend has manners,” Yong yelled to Kiku from his open window, pocketing the cash. Before the two could walk off, he quickly added, “Wait, Kiku! Auntie wanted me to tell you something, come here for a bit.”

Alfred had no problem waiting near one of the stalls, so Kiku slid back into the passenger side of Yong-Soo’s car with a sigh. “What does she -”

“Do your parents know you’re dating a human?”

Kiku’s blood nearly ran cold, but he kept a cool demeanor. “I don’t know what you mean.”

 _“Rivendell?_ Seriously? You couldn’t have prepared his _Lord of The Rings_ lookin-ass a little better?”

“Look,” Kiku rubbed one of his temples, “He’s trying his best. I didn’t think you would ask him that - I didn’t even think you were going to be the one _driving_ us, to begin with!”

“So why’d you even bring him here? He looks the part well enough, but if someone catches him, you know what would happen. Not just to him, but to you and the _rest_ of our family, too.”

“I finally do something you would do and you’re _reprimanding_ me for it?”

Yong-Soo smacked the back of his head so quickly he nearly got whiplash, _“Stupid!_ Don’t do what I would do! You’re supposed to be the smart, boring one in this family! And dating Legolas over there is _not_ smart or boring!”

The younger of the two rubbed the back of his head, glaring at Yong-Soo. “I _am_ smart, and I have this under control. My parents and Yao already know he’s human.”

“But do they know that he knows you’re not?”

“They don’t need to know.”

“My fucking God, Kiku, you’re sounding more and more like me, and I don’t know if I should be proud or terrified.”

“Well, I don’t have a stick up my ass anymore, so you should be happy.” Kiku fumed, reaching for the door handle. “And do _not_ tell Auntie or anyone else about this. If they ask who I was with, tell them it was someone from Elemental practice.”

Yong-Soo didn’t answer, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

_“Yong-Soo.”_

“Fine! Fine, okay, go make out with your _Lord of The Rings_ boyfriend or whatever. I won’t say anything.”

Kiku ignored his first comment, but thanked him as he stepped out of the car.

“Hey!” Kiku looked back towards the open window of the car, “You owe me. Beyond big time.”

Kiku rolled his eyes, turning back towards the stall that Alfred had run off to.

 

* * *

 

 

“So, we _didn’t_ jump into a different dimension?” Alfred asked, peering at Kiku through an empty spot in the bookshelf they were browsing through. The makeshift bookstore they wandered into had shelves upon shelves of books on potion-making and plant-keeping.

Kiku, on the opposite side of the bookshelf, shook his head. “No. We’re still in the same dimension, reality, whatever you’d like to call it, but it’s as if we’re hidden from it. Normal people can’t see us and what goes on in the market unless you enter it correctly.”

“Like what we just did.”

“Yes. But there are other ways of getting here. A lot of them are safer than driving off the pier.”

The blonde hummed, picking out a book on apothecary to thumb through. “Why didn’t we just use one of the easier routes?”

“Well,” Kiku said, “I thought you would like the dangerous route better, since it’s more exciting.”

“That’s so sweet! I nearly pissed my pants, though, so let’s never do that again.”

Kiku figured the bookstore wasn’t as exciting as what Alfred might have been looking for, so the two left the shop to delve deeper into the market. From the outside, it looked rather small, but as Kiku led Alfred deeper and deeper into the maze-like market, more shops and vendors practically sprouted behind every corner. It was much different from the typical Renaissance fair; delicious smells wafted from food stalls, birds that looked much too exotic to exist rattled against their cages, and most fantastic of all - Alfred saw different kinds of _people_ walking by without any sort of human disguise. Creatures that he was so certain were the stuff of fairytales and scary stories that he and Matthew used to read to each other before bed walked about the market in broad daylight. Right when he saw someone who resembled a human, they would turn around to reveal a tail of some sort or flash a smile with fangs too sharp to be considered normal.

Kiku was happy to see Alfred so immersed and astonished by magic culture. As they ducked into one of Kiku’s favorite shops, he asked Alfred if he were enjoying himself.

“Am _I_ enjoying myself?” The blonde laughed, following the witch into the shop, “This is the tightest shit I’ve ever come in contact with in my entire _life!_ Did you see that dude we passed? He had a whole ass _dragon_ tail!”

None of this was new to Kiku, who had been coming to the Magician’s market since he were a child, but he humored Alfred nonetheless. “Wait until you see the fairies. Their wings are quite something when the light shines through them.”

Just as Alfred opened his mouth to ask if they looked anything like Tinkerbell, a boy around their age stepped out from a room behind the counter, greeting the pair with a dull tone. However, upon seeing Kiku, his tired eyes lit up just a bit.

“Kiku, hey,” the boy said, walking to meet the two of them. “It’s been a while since you’ve come by.”

“I know, I’ve been trying to stay away from sweets,” Kiku replied. He gestured towards Alfred, “Heracles, this is my good friend, Alfred. We met during Elemental practice.”

Alfred reached his hand out to shake, but couldn’t help but keep his eyes glued to Heracles’ lower half. Rather than normal, human legs, his lower half was replaced with that of a horse, hooves and all. Alfred had wondered why he had looked particularly tall behind the counter.

Realizing his was staring, he quickly took Heracles’ hand to shake. “It’s-It’s really cool to meet you! I’m sorry, I’ve just never, like... _seen_ a centaur before.”

Thankfully, Heracles didn’t mind his staring. “That’s okay. We aren’t as common as witches or elves. Kiku was just as freaked out when he first met me when we were kids.”

Kiku was about to retort when a flurry of black ran from the back room and towards Alfred and Kiku, nearly knocking the pair over as it sniffed their shoes. Once Alfred got a good look at it, he saw three pairs of eyes stare up at him with interest - all stemming from one body. A curled tail wagged back and forth as it stood on its hind legs to paw at Alfred’s jeans. Three black pug heads seemingly smiled up towards him, to which Alfred could only stare.

Heracles clicked his tongue, placing his hands on his hips. “Henri, chill out. They’re guests.”

Kiku knelt down to scratch the dog (dogs?) behind the ears. “He’s gotten so big since I’ve last seen him! Oh, I need to bring Pochi to meet him.”

Alfred tried to find his voice, “Is that - that’s a -”

“Yeah, he’s got three heads, like Cerberus. I swear, he only has one brain, though.” Heracles ran a hand through his chestnut curls, shaking his head at the spoiled pug. “We should have gotten a cat.”

“Dude,” Alfred finally said, after staring at the pug which was currently being smothered in belly rubs by Kiku, “no offense, but I would literally die for Henri.”

Remembering what they came for, Kiku eventually left Henri to instead peruse through the sweets that lines the walls and aisles of the shop. Henri followed the pair throughout the store, wagging his tail the entire time.

“How are your parents?” Kiku asked as he plucked a light blue box wrapped with a ribbon from one of the shelves. A language that Alfred could not read nor hope to understand was scrawled across it.

“Oh, you know,” the centaur called from the counter, “too busy partying with the rest of the tribe to take care of the shop. Why not make their only son take care of it on a Saturday night, not like he has better things to do.”

“Like sleep.”

“Exactly like sleep.”

Alfred reached for what looked to be a lollipop, but upon further inspection, turned out to have a beetle in the center of it. He slid the candy back into its jar. “So your parents own this place? That’s pretty neat, you get to pig out all day.”

“Yeah, I would, if I liked blood filled pastries or chocolate dipped caterpillars.”

The blonde set down the box of chocolates in his hand. “You got a point there.”

“They aren’t so bad once you try them,” Kiku said, setting his items on the counter. “My parents actually like strawberry dipped beetles.”

Heracles shared a grimace with Alfred as he rang Kiku up, setting the sweets into a cotton tote and slipping the receipt inside. “Are you gonna go to the firework show later tonight? I heard the new fire witches are leading.”

Alfred’s ears perked up at the mention of fireworks. “Where’s it gonna be at?”

“By the fountain square, like usual.”

“We’ll definitely be there!”

With sweets in hand, the two bid Heracles and Henri goodbye.

Kiku frowned as they fell into step together along the market’s beaten path. “That was actually going to be a surprise. I was going to take you later on this evening.”

“Wait, really?” Alfred couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his lips, or from taking hold of Kiku’s hand. “You’re so sweet! Like one of those chocolate covered caterpillars.”

“Don’t - compare me to a caterpillar.” The witch mumbled, but let his fingers intertwine with Alfred’s.

Daylight slowly dissolved into sunset, and as the sky turned from clear blue to soft oranges and pinks, the market only became busier. Different types of creatures walked about - nocturnal, Alfred guessed - and more shops opened their doors as the sun set in further in the distance.

As the two walked, music filled the air, distant at first, but now much more closer. The fountain sat in the middle of a large square of shops and restaurants, tables and chairs set out just a ways in front of each. The fountain itself was of a woman playing the harp, hair cascading and forming into waves as they dipped into the bottom of the fountain. Water spilled from her eyes, streaming down her cheeks and into the small pool beneath her.

The source of the music came from a small group of people with instruments near one of the restaurants, a crowd already gathered around the fountain and dancing to the music’s upbeat tempo.

Alfred tugged on Kiku’s hand, nodding towards the crowd. “Dance with me?”

Kiku glanced from the crowd to Alfred. “I don’t... I have two left feet. I can’t dance.”

“I didn’t ask if you could dance,” Alfred said, “I asked if you’d dance _with_ me.”

The invitation _was_ tempting. Especially considering who it was coming from.

While he knew he would look like an absolute fool trying to dance, Kiku let himself be pulled into the crowd by Alfred and his charmingly boyish smile.

(He only stepped on Alfred’s toes a few times, to which Alfred didn't even notice).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> throwing in yong-soo and heracles were done at the last minute tbh. i wanted to make this chapter a bit longer by adding more dialogue between kiku and people he knew, and to add more ~drama~ 
> 
> i've also been giving tons of thought to arthur's backstory, and actually been plotting smthn out for a separate fic (eyes emoji)
> 
> but anyways . who knows when i'll update again :^)


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